The provincial Liberal leaders seem to be hand-picking their 2009 election candidates rather than having them chosen by constituency association members. Will this approach hurt the party? For the answer, we turn to the members of Public Eye Radio's rabble-rousing political panel.

Don Anderson The provincial Liberals, unlike the New Democrats, run a highly centralized organization - from the way they choose their candidates to the way they fundraise and runs its biannual conventions. Liberal constituency associations are little more than political clubs - they have no real role in the functioning of the party let alone the government caucus.

That said, all political parties want to use high-profile candidates as a means to brand their leader and agenda. For example, despite being devoid of partisan or political history, Gregor Robertson was recruited because he represented what the New Democrats wanted to be seen as: new, energetic, environmentally-conscious and business friendly.

Carole Taylor - a successful, small "l" liberal woman - was similarly recruited to counter what was (and still is) the impression Premier Gordon Campbell is not approachable or sensitive to those issues traditionally identified with women voters (education, health care, child care). The recruitment and promotion of candidates by the leader of a party then is really an attempt to make them look better and fill-in the gaps in their public persona. As such, it can only help the party.

The danger for the party and leader is twofold: first, they cannot (or should not) be seen to be taking a nomination away from someone who has made it known they want it, organized to get it and has identifiable support; and, second, their chosen "star" must truly be exceptional and not merely, like most of us, successful in some individual endeavour.

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Bob Russell Hand-picking candidates allows parties to guarantee nominations to “star” candidates who they don't want subjected to a constituency association-driven nomination process. And while "star” candidates can, as often as not, be a bust as legislators or elected representatives they do get parties elected - much more so than candidates who have survived raucous constituency nomination fights (a spectacle that can often contribute to the opposite effect). In other words, Liberals following a process that has led to the one and only thing that historically has guaranteed a party’s continued existence: electoral success. So no, this isn't going to hurt the Liberals

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Alex Tsakumis I'm not sure Premier Campbell - the man who promised British Columbians the most open and accountable government in Canada - ever envisioned he would have to answer for ham-fisted tactics such as the ones being used to cherry-pick candidates for his administration. This was a method the federal Liberal Party has been criticized for, extensively and appropriately.

Many of these candidates come from seasoned political backgrounds and should be able to carry a nomination. If the can't, then what an inauspicious start! And, frankly, what good are they if they cannot? Democracy has to be more than a word to embrace. It must be the bedrock what our political parties represent. But it seems that, in this case, the notion of democracy - and all the very richness and multi-textured meaning that comes with it - has been reduced to a simple punchline.

Arrogance has replaced principle. And the triumph of openess and accountability cannot be claimed by this premier. Not today.

Don Anderson was the caucus research director for the New Democrats.

Bob Russell, a businessman and former civil servant, was chief of staff for the provincial Liberals in Alberta from 1986 to 1989. In 2004, he ran for the federal Liberal nomination in Saanich-Gulf Islands.

Alex Tsakumis, a columnist with 24 hours, was a former political aide with the Vander Zalm administration