当河谷北区自由党提名赛 风声大雨点小

前Trinity Spadina选区省议员董晗彭在周四晚当河谷北区的自由党提名赛中击败对手江邦固律师，获得该选区自由党提名。

Han Dong, the former MPP for Trinity Spadina won the Liberal party nomination for the Don Valley North riding after a red-hot competitive race on Thursday night, beating rival Banggu Jiang, a female lawyer.

消息灵通人士告诉大中报，提名赛两位候选人实力可谓旗鼓相当，投票结果非常相近。最终董晗鹏以14票微弱优势胜出。

It was an incredibly tight race, with Dong wining by a marginal victory of just 14 votes, according to multiple sources of Chinese News.



当河谷北选区的自由党议员谭耕于5月份宣布退选。自此一场自由党候选人提名战役在这一华人聚集的选区激烈展开，并将该选区的华裔候选人置于镁光灯下。联邦自由党批准了江邦固，董瀚鹏的参赛资格，黄兴来未能获得参赛资格。

The riding's Liberal MP Geng Tan announced in May that he is not seeking re-election. A contesting nomination battle has been unfolding in this riding concentrated with Chinese Canadians, putting three candidates of Chinese origin under the spotlight. Ms. Banggu Jiang and Han Dong both have gotten the greenlight to seek nomination, while Laura Huang was rejected as a potential candidate by the Liberal Party of Canada.

投票当晚场景煞是壮观。提名赛在位于Victoria Park and 401的亚美尼亚社区中心（Armenian Community Centre）举行。穿梭巴士每隔30分钟将投票者送往此地。大批学生志愿者在投票中心外积极为两位参选者拉选票，不停地向前来投票者发送候选人传单，信息手册和徽章。印有董和江名字和头像的选举牌和标志犹如波涛汹涌，遍布选举大楼外围场地。

Shuttle busses brought in Liberal party members from the riding to Armenian Community Centre building at Victoria Park and 401, where the nomination meeting was held. Student volunteers swamped the building, helping court voters for the candidates. Campaign signs with the name and pictures of the candidates flooded the site, creating a spectacular scene on the voting night.



但令人意想不到的是，投票率却显得差强人意。消息人士透露，大约9000名新党员被各位注册候选人拉入自由党，而现场仅点出600张合格选票。

However, it seemed the voters’ turnout rate wasn’t as high as expected. According to sources, there were 9,000 new members signed up by all the candidates but only 600 eligible votes were casted.

董和江在获得参选资格后便纷纷展开了激烈的竞选。在投票之前，两位候选人的“大腕”后台们均通过手机短信和录音电话为候选人站台拉票。

Dong and Jiang geared up for the race after they were greenlit by the party. Text messages, robot calls from both contestants clogged party members’ cellphone prior to the nomination meeting.



当河谷北选区市议员高雪莉和士巴丹拿区自由党议员沃恩都曾为发送录音电话为董晗鹏站台。一则带有严重英语口音的录音电话用中文说：“中国人和加拿大人是好朋友。请投董晗鹏一票”。

Shelly Carroll, city councillor for DVN and Adam Vaughan, Liberal MP for Trinity Spadina have sent robot call messages supporting Dong. “Chinese and Canadians are good friends. Please vote for Han Dong” said a message in Chinese with strong English accident.

高雪莉在录音电话中说：“我支持董晗鹏竞选当谷北选区议员，我非常了解他 …….他尽心尽力为选民服务，成绩可佳。“

“I am supporting Hang Don as MP for Don Valley North, because I know him for very long time…He has a proven track record, delivering results for his constituents, “ said Shelly Carroll in her robot call message.



支持董晗鹏的还有前省内阁部长陈国治以及被解雇的驻中国外长麦家廉。两名人士都与中国关系亲密。在投票现场，董晗鹏与陈国治、麦家廉的合影大幅照片也挂在投票站的入口。董的竞选传单也有他与陈的合影。

Among those endorsing Dong are also ex-provincial cabinet minister Michael Chan and fired China ambassador John McCallum, both prominent pro-China political figures. Giant photos of Dong with Chan and McCallum were displayed at the entrance of the poll station. Pictures of Dong and Chan were also printed on Dong’s campaign materials distributed at the scene.

候选人的中国立场日益为选民衡量政客的标准。一名该选区选民表示：“他们是否支持民主进程和言论自由，以及和平示威？他们是否亲近中国共产党，与中国政府保持一致? 这些是候选人敲门时我要问的问题。”

The stance of political candidates towards China has been increasingly under the scrutiny of Canadian voters. "Do they support democracy, free speech? And a peaceful demonstration?  Or are they close to Beijing and align with the Chinese government? These are the questions I would ask for the candidates when they knock on my door," said a resident at Don Valley North.



董晗鹏否认他有亲北京倾向，表示他还获得自由党议员沃恩以及他的政治前辈，前安省内阁部长飞利浦斯的支持。

Dong rejected any suggestion that he was the pro-Beijing candidate, noting that he is also being supported by Liberal MP Adam Vaughn and Gerry Phillips, the former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister he considers his political mentor.

他向《国家邮报》表示：“我认为我是一名参选加国政客的加国公民。”

“I see myself as a Canadian running for Canadian public office,” he said in an interview with National Post.



在越来越多的党派候选人通过任命而非竞选获得提名的今天，当河谷北的投票选出候选人的决定显示出自由党为遵守民主原则而不随波逐流的精神。总部设在多伦多的萨马拉民主中心的新研究表明在过去五次联邦选举中，只有17％的候选人是通过竞争性提名赛而胜出。许多选民对当河谷北区这一健康的选举程序赞赏不已。

The nomination meeting in DVN seems to buck a growing trend that party candidates get nominated through the appointment and without a contest. New research by the Toronto-based Samara Centre for Democracy reveals just 17% of candidates won a competitive nomination race in the past five federal elections. Many residents are happy about the nomination meeting and are supportive of this healthy, democratic practice in Don Valley North.