Conservatives Mutiny Over Fantino’s Candidacy

The former Ontario Provincial Police commissioner is running in a by-election in Vaughan on Nov. 29.

The Conservative Party brass chose Julian Fantino to run in the by-election, hoping his high-profile and record as former Vaughan chief of police will help them finally wrest control of the riding from the Liberals. Maurizio Bevilacqua has held the riding for the past 22 years but was elected mayor of the city last month. A group called Conservatives Against Fantino has filed papers to register as a political party, and will reportedly hold protests outside his campaign office in the five days leading up to the election. The group is led by Gary McHale, who publically clashed with Fantino over his handling of the aboriginal occupation of Caledonia in 2007, accusing him of siding with the occupiers.