Let us, for a moment, stand in gaping awe at the ever-expanding electoral disaster zone known as federal Liberal star candidate Shirley Chan's campaign in Vancouver East. First, wet-behind-the-ears Young Liberal apparatchik and recent full-time student Colin Topham, whose political experience includes such weighty and vaunted posts as the party's University of Victoria campus club president, was appointed as Ms. Chan's campaign manager.

Then, on June 2, her 19-year old communications co-chair Jon Loewen got in trouble for writing an email, leaked to media, noting that Conservatives like to "sit in a corner and hate gay people and immigrants and social programs and basically anything that's reasonable or good."

Two days later, Ms. Chan went on Vancouver radio station CKNW and was accused of being homophobic. The reason: she questioned how her openly gay opponent, incumbent New Democrat Libby Davies, could criticize the Grits for the sponsorship scandal when, "she flies across the country with her girlfriend" using a parliamentary perk that provides free airline travel to MPs spouses or same-sex partners.

And now CKNW is reporting the first person to question Ms. Davies during an all-candidates debate at Vancouver Community College was none other than Ms. Chan's husband, Steven Hopkins. Mr. Hopkins asked Ms. Davies, "How much do you predict your grant program would cost and where would the money come from?" The following is a transcript of their encounter, as posted on the station's Website.

Ms. Davies Well, Steven, would you like to introduce yourself?

Mr. Hopkins Hi, my name is Steven Hopkins, nice to meet you.

Ms. Davies Shirley's husband. Nice to see you again.

Ms. Chan I did not ask him to do this.