Copps and Valeri battle for nomination in East - Stoney Creek

By GLORIA GALLOWAY
Globe and Mail Update

(Stoney Creek, ON) Voting for the contentious Liberal nomination in
Hamilton East - Stoney Creek got off to a raucous start today with hundreds
of supporters of both camps trying hard to out shout the others.

"Tony is the future, Sheila is the past," was the chant from the
side of the high school gymnasium staked out by those loyal toThe reply
from those aligned with Sheila Copps, the former deputy prime minister, was
even louder. "Sheila, Sheila," they shouted, pressing and shoving
their placards at their opponents.

When the two candidates took the stage in advance of the vote the crevasse
between them was pronounced. "This is my home, I was born here, my
father was a steelworker and my mother raised three children here in
Hamilton," Mr. Valeri told the crowd. His residence has been something
of an issue in this race.

In fact, he does not actually live within the boundaries of the new riding
but he hopes to represent but believes it encompasses most of the
constituency he has held for 10 years. That riding was amalgamated with the
Hamilton East riding held by Ms. Copps, setting up this bitter internecine
feud that has pitted Mr. Valeri, a backer of Prime Minister Paul Martin,
against Ms. Copps, a loyalist of Mr. Martin's predecessor Jean Chr‚tien.

That was a point Mr. Valeri stressed repeatedly during the brief period he
was permitted to address the crowd. "This nomination contest is also
about our future, the future of our city be sure, the future of our country
absolutely," he said. "Today, I'm asking for your support to
continue to represent this community and the renewed Paul Martin
government."

Ms. Copps, who broke down in tears before the speeches while thanking those
who had backed her in this fight for her political life, was in fighting
form when she took the stage. She pointed to the present three liberal
senators and Herb Dhaliwal, another Chr‚tien cabinet minister who was
dumped by Mr. Martin, and said the Liberal party is her family.
"Welcome to the second battle of Stoney Creek," she said.
"At the first battle we helped change the course of Canada and today
we are going to do that again."

Some people have said she has too much experience, she told the crowd.
"How can you have too much experience?" Ms. Copps thanked the
party in 14 languages before making a special plea in Italian to the large
constituency in that community before turning to Mr. Valeri and offering a
few words of peace. "Tony, whatever happens in this fight, I know we
all believe in the building of our great party and we will do it
together."

Voting will continue until 7 p.m. EST tonight and results will be made
known soon thereafter.

--- GoldED/W32 3.0.1