New Brunswick Conservative's pull out of leaders debate - don't want to talk about the David Alward record?

I'm in New Brunswick for a couple weeks, so might as well take a shot at the Tories while I'm here. With the writ formally dropping tomorrow, and signs going up across the province (I've seen probably about a dozen already driving around Saint John) Conservative leader David Alward is running away from the CBC leaders debate. The Conservatives claim they don't want to participate in the debate because they are inviting the leaders of the Green Party and the People's Alliance, but Alward was happy to participate alongside them in 2010. Maybe he just doesn't want to talk about the the facts? The above graphic comes from Telegrah-Journal, showing the result of four years of Conservative rule in New Brunswick. David Alward might not want to be accountable for his failures of leadership, but these are facts he can't run from.

Non-Ottawa West-Nepean nomination news

http://www.dailytownsman.com/article/20101122/CRANBROOK0101/311229983/-1/cranbrook/bennett-steps-off-plane-as-an-independent

Now former BC Liberal MLA and cabinet minister Bill Bennett, who now sits as an independent after being expelled from the Liberal caucus, has left the door open for a run for the federal Conservatives.


Bennett also said the possibility of seeking the Federal Conservative nomination for the riding of Kootenay-Columbia wasn't out of the question.

"It was certainly something I thought about six months ago, and declined, and said that I wasn't interested. This whole thing has caused me to put it back on the list of options. But it's not at the top of the list at the present time. I think I need some time to think things through, and figure out what's best for me, my wife and my family, and frankly, what's best for the people of Kootenay East."

http://www.canadaeast.com/news/article/1320274

Further east, nominated Liberal candidate for Fredericton, Pam Campbell, is stepping down from her position as candidate. Campbell was nominated a little over a year ago.

Tory and NDP nomination news

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/1032852

The Conservative nomination for New Brunswick Southwest looks like it will be a contest, with local vice-principal Rick Hunter has jumping in, joining former PMO Communications chief John Willamson in the race to replace Greg Thompson.

http://www.innisfilscope.com/news/2010-04-21/Front_Page/YorkSimcoe_NDP_choosing_new_federal_candidate_toni.html

The NDP has a candidate in York-Simcoe, Michelle Smith, the executive director of the York region Women's Support Network.

Liberal nomination news in 3 ridings

Ran down a decent sized nomination update last time around, but here are some remainders:



http://www.yournepean.com/KanataKourier/news/article/16856

Lawyer Scott Simser is the first declared candidate for the Liberal nomination in Carleton-Mississippi Mills.



http://bugleobserver.canadaeast.com/news/article/814395

In another Tory held riding, the Liberals have a new candidate, Chuck Chiasson in Tobique-Mactaquac.



http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/October2009/06/c4416.html

Marcel Catellier has officially been named the Liberal candidate in Montmagny - L'Islet - Kamouraska - Rivière-du-Loup, one of the ridings in which by-elections have been called for.

Not Outremont nomination news

http://kingscorecord.canadaeast.com/news/article/798941

Only one candidate put his name forward for the Liberal nomination in Fundy Royal, Dave Delaney, a long-time Liberal activist and director of operations for Habitat for Humanity.

http://www.xtra.ca/public/Ottawa/Gaybourhood_candidates_prepare_for_election-7505.aspx
This article examining the Ottawa Centre race says that the Conservatives have " three or four candidates that have expressed very serious interest and have requested nomination papers". Last I had heard around the rumour mill was that party HQ was supportive of Bruce being the candidate, but the riding association is not a huge fan of him and was attempting to recruit other candidates, but that Bruce was the only one to have offically declared.

http://woodstocksentinelreview.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1763621
In Oxford, former Marijuana Party candidate and past independent provincial candidate Jim Bender has declared for the Liberal nomination.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/698505
And a non candidate for the NDP, with former MPP and twice failed federal candidate Marilyn Churley ruling out a third run in Beaches-East York, with her eyes turning towards her original job, municipal politics.

Back to school nominations

Making my first nomination update of the year from the Loeb building Bpapm computer lab, huzzah.

http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1751704

In the bellweatherish riding of Peterborough, three time provincial NDP candidate Dave Nickle is eyeing a federal run, after 2008 candidate Steve Sharpe said he wouldn't take another crack at it. The local nomination meeting is scheduled for Sept. 28.

http://miramichileader.canadaeast.com/news/article/790960

The Miramichi Liberal nomination race gets less crowded, with former mayor and MLA John McKay dropping out.

http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1736434

Back to the NDP and the Peterborough area, 23 year old Waterloo student Patrick Clark will seek the party's nomination for Northumberland-Quinte West, the first declared candidate.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/article/135330

Sticking with the NDP, local CAW leader Chris Buckley will seek the NDP nomination for Oshawa. The riding is often home to close political fights, with 2004 having an extremely close 3 way race, with the victorious Conservatives picking the seat up from the Liberals, but being separated from the third place Liberals by only 1305 votes, and only 463 votes ahead of the second place NDP. The Tories held the riding from the NDP with still close but by no means razor thin margins in 2006 and 2008 as well. The riding is symbolically important for the NDP, being the former seat of party leader Ed Broadbent. (Although it is notable that Broadbent himself faced several close races, only winning the seat by 15 votes on his first election to it in 1968, and almost being knocked off as MP in 1972, 1984, and 1988, while not being a nailbiter, was a cakewalk)

News from out east

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/front/article/783668
From New Brunswick, Paul Zed is still not publically declaring to try and win back his old seat of Saint John, and the nomination race in Miramachi is now a 4-way battle between Kweith Vickers, former executive assistant to Hubbard; John McKay, a former mayor of Newcastle and MLA; Veronique Arsenault, former executive director of the Miramichi Chamber of Commerce; and Rob Hutchison.

New nomination news

http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1699134

Steve Pickard defeated 2008 candidate Matt Daudlin in a battle of the sons of former Liberal MP's. Pickard is a Chatham-Kent municipal councillor.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/08/13/woman-federal-politics.html

University of New Brunswick prof Wendy Robbins is going after the Liberal nomination in Fredricton. Robbins was a co-founder of the Women's Studies program at UNB and has been an active member of Equal Voice Canada and was a recipent of the Persons Award in honour of her work in promoting gender equality.

http://www.mix97.com/news/2009/08/ken-cole-to-be-prince-edward-hastings-liberal-candidate-in-next-federal-election/
2008 Liberal candidate Ken Cole (not to be confused with Mississauga South's very own Ken Cole, was has ran for the NDP 4 times both federally and provincially) will be acclaimed today as the candidate for Prince Edward-Hastings.

http://www.wellandtribune.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1698927
News for the Tories from Welland, with Lenna Villella joining St. Catherines regional councillor Bruce Timms for the nomination. Villella is a business owner and has been involved with many local social activst groups. The nomination meeting will be Sept. 17.