[LINK] "What Sam Oosterhoff's nomination means for Patrick Brown's PCs"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC News' Mike Crawley reports on the surprise selection of a teenager as Progressive Conservative candidate in a Niagara riding. Are the PCs on the verge of an uprising?

Sam Oosterhoff could soon become the MPP for Niagara's wine country, and he's barely old enough to drink (legally).

Oosterhoff, 19, is the Progressive Conservative candidate in the Nov. 17 byelection in Niagara West-Glanbrook. If he wins, he will become the youngest MPP in Ontario's history.

But his age is not the only reason his candidacy is raising eyebrows.

First of all, he defeated a political heavy-hitter to win the nomination: Rick Dykstra, a three-term Conservative MP for St Catharines and the current Ontario PC party president. Some are interpreting this as a slap in the face to the Ontario PC braintrust.

Secondly, Oosterhoff has expressed some strong socially conservative views. Yet PC leader Patrick Brown is trying to steer his party to the centre and stay away from taking controversial positions on touchy social issues.

"My family, neighbours, and church helped instill in me the values of community, dedication and service," Oosterhoff says on his website. "I will never waver in my support of parents as primary educators, and I will strive to ensure that parental rights are respected in education."

Oosterhoff's Facebook likes include the "We can end abortion" community and the Libertarian Christian Institute — as well as the indie bands Imagine Dragons and Death Cab for Cutie.

In between his twitter posts about political issues, he occasionally tweets references to his Christianity, such as Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."