A night of roasts and nomination ghosts

Committee clash

THE HOTTEST TICKETS IN TOWN

It’s a big night in Ontario politics for two very different reasons. In one room, the Press Gallery’s hosting its annual Spring Fling, where politicians, staff, stakeholders and reporters gather to amiably insult one another (and ourselves) under the sacred protection of “off the record.” In another, the Liberals are holding the arbitration meeting that could decide whether the messy Scarborough Southwest nomination drama is over, or revving up.

That would be the nomination fight involving NATE ERSKINE-SMITH, the federal Liberal MP and would-be provincial leadership contender, who is challenging his razor-thin loss to AHSANUL HAFIZ. Erskine-Smith lost last week’s nomination by 19 votes and has alleged serious irregularities in a notice of appeal filed with the party’s arbitration board, including concerns about voter ID procedures and discrepancies in the ballot count.

The party’s arbitration panel — headed up by ex-cabinet minister DAVID ZIMMER, along with