Backers of veteran Tory MP lose political showdown

Outspoken, long-serving Alberta member of Parliament Rob Anders is facing a challenge from within his own party in his Calgary West riding.

On Saturday, more than 600 card-carrying Conservative members lined up for more than an hour to get into the annual general meeting of the Calgary West Conservative Party. Among the agenda items was electing a new board of directors, which oversees nominations.

The event, at the Montgomery Community Association hall, was seen as a showdown between supporters of Anders, who has won in Calgary-West five times, and lawyer Donna Kennedy-Glans, who wants to replace him as the Conservative candidate.

Anders accused Kennedy-Glans of being a disgruntled Liberal who is trying to steal the riding. She dismissed the allegation as a fear-mongering tactic, and said people want to see change.

The federal Conservative party recently decided that the only way incumbent MPs can be pushed out in their ridings is if two-thirds of constituency members vote to hold a nomination race.

In the end, supporters of Kennedy-Glans swept the board elections with 27 of them elected to fill the 30 positions. One of Anders's backers was elected, while the remaining two successful candidates were on both slates.

Riding members could receive a mail-in ballot within the next three weeks on whether or not they want to see a nomination contest.

Anders has record of controversial comments

Rival candidates in last federal election compared Anders to Bigfoot becauseof the incumbent'slow profileduring the campaign. He said later, while sporting a cast on his arm, that injuring his bicep had not prevented him from knocking on doors in his riding.

Anders has been in the news for controversial comments, including hiscontention that the Beijing Olympics would be comparable to the 1936 Games held in Nazi Germany because of China's record on human rights.

In 2001, he was the only MP to vote against making Nelson Mandela an honorary citizen of Canada, calling the South African leader a communist and a terrorist.

In February 2008, disgruntled Tories tried to take their challenge of Anders's acclamation in Calgary West to the Supreme Court, but the high court refused to hear their appeal.