Avi Lewis’s leadership campaign has issued a notable statement distancing itself from the New Democratic Party’s handling of Yves Engler’s exclusion from the leadership race, raising serious concerns about the vetting process while stopping short of endorsing Engler’s reinstatement.

In a response shared with Global Green News—and reportedly circulated to supporters who contacted the campaign—Lewis said he was “disappointed by the way this vetting process was handled” and committed to a formal review of candidate vetting procedures if elected leader.

I’m not a huge Avi Lewis fan but I respect his breaking with the party brass over what happened with Engler’s campaign.