Mahoney accused Parrish of using dirty tricks to win, and his anger erupted into shouts of "Can you believe that!" when his wife's signature was questioned by staff at the registration table.
"Parrish's guys are challenging my wife Katie's right to vote," he screamed to the people standing in line. "It's utter nonsense."
"This woman [Parrish] is so low in the gutter that it's a shame that she's standing to represent the Liberal party," Mahoney later told reporters. "I've had enough of it."
Steve Mahoney
Parrish, meanwhile, said she had nothing to do with the way Sunday's vote was conducted, and dismissed Mahoney's complaint as the ranting of a sore loser.
"Oh, he's blamed me because the sun didn't come up," she said. "He's blamed me because he's losing. He's blamed me for everything. Why would he stop now?"
Parrish and Mahoney are both sitting MPs, but they were forced to fight for the right to be a Liberal candidate in the next federal election because some old constituency boundaries have been changed.
Carolyn Parrish
Their bitter feud for the newly drawn riding of Mississauga-Erindale, just west of Toronto, has included threats of libel suits during the past few months.
Another former Chrétien cabinet minister was defeated by a strong Martin supporter at a nomination meeting on the weekend. Hamilton MP Sheila Copps lost a fierce battle against Transport Minister Tony Valeri.
- FROM MARCH 7, 2004: Copps may contest Valeri's victory
On Sunday, Copps said she may challenge the results, saying that hundreds of her supporters were unable to cast ballots Saturday night.
Martin is expected to call an election this spring.
