Today, former diplomat and senior bureaucrat Anne Park Shannon will be acclaimed as the federal Liberal candidate in Victoria. And it looks like there's going to be another acclamation in Saanich-Gulf Islands. In an email sent to supporters and party officials earlier today, Kit Spence announced he won't be on the ballot when the Grits in that riding hold their nomination meeting next month. Mr. Spence, a political party development expert with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, will be in Pakistan at the time of that meeting - scheduled for April 1. And, while he initially "felt that it would be possible to contest the nomination and to fulfill my contract obligations" to the institute "it has become clear to me that I cannot do justice to both." As a result, Mr. Spence is throwing his support behind would-be parliamentarian Briony Penn. The following is a complete copy of that email.

I am writing to inform you that I will be withdrawing from the nomination contest in Saanich Gulf Islands. When I made the commitment to run and undertook my contract in Pakistan, I was the only candidate in the race and no nomination date was set. That changed quickly as the election rhetoric from Stephen Harper heated up, another candidate entered the race, and a nomination date was set. Initially, I felt that it would be possible to contest the nomination and to fulfill my contract obligations here. It has become clear to me that I cannot do justice to both and that it would be unfair to ask my supporters to continue the campaign in my absence.

As Liberals our primary task must be to defeat Gary Lunn and to elect a majority Liberal government under the leadership of Stephane Dion. We must go into the next election united in our purpose behind a credible candidate, and I am confident that Briony Penn is such a candidate. I wish her the best of luck in the campaign and pledge my support.

I want to thank all of the members who worked so hard in support of my campaign and all of the members who pledged their support for me. I appreciate very much the confidence that you expressed and the encouragement that you provided. We need now to focus on preparing for the election that Stephen Harper seems so desperately to want and to move forward united in our purpose to elect a Liberal Member of Parliament in Saanich Gulf Islands.