Hey, before you take a look at who has come out of the wood work early to run for nominations, why don't you take a look at my policy on Common Ground, Encouraging Youth Voter Participation and Improving Civic Education?
Lots of political space being paid attention to right now on the federal scene (and rightfully so) to the upcoming by-elections, the Throne Speech, CETA and the Senate, but I thought I'd do a blast from the past, and take a look at who has declared themselves running for a Liberal nomination for the 2015 election.
The nomination process this time will be particularly interesting. Justin Trudeau has promised open nominations and if the by-elections are any indication (three of the four ridings saw contested nominations) we could see some wide open contests to be a Liberal candidate in the next election across Canada. Riding re-distribution is another factor, as more ridings means more nominations to be held, and intrigue (for all parties, really) where incumbents will run and which seats will be "open".
This post won't cover rumour or intrigue, just candidates who have openly declared they are running for a nomination either in the media or online. If you're supporting a candidate who has declared, feel free to leave your deets in the comments section. Let's get started with some ridings that even early on are seeing some competition.
Willowdale
Sonny Cho
http://sonnycho.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/GetToKnowSonny
https://www.facebook.com/GetToKnowSonny
Vincent Gasparro
http://www.vincegasparro.ca/
https://twitter.com/vgasparro
David Mousavi
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vote-David-for-Willowdale/516821751725319
https://twitter.com/DavidMousavi
Lily Pourzand
http://www.lilypourzand.ca/about/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lily-for-Willowdale/499118806843623
Willowdale seems to be a hot commodity, as it has drawn four declared candidates already!
Beaches-East York
Tom McGee
http://tommcgee.ca/meet-tom/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-McGee-for-Beaches-East-York/489701967792202
https://twitter.com/tommcgeeBEY
Jeff Rybak
http://www.jeffrybak.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/votejeffrybak
Ville-Marie
Marc Miller
http://marcmiller.ca/why-am-i-running/
Désirée McGraw
https://www.facebook.com/pages/D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9e-McGraw/228280297324201
https://twitter.com/Desiree_McGraw
And here are some non contested ones (as far as I could tell)
Etobicoke-Lakeshore
George Takach
http://www.vote4george.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/georgetakach
https://twitter.com/georgetakach
Markham-Stouffville
Jane Philpott
http://janephilpott.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/janepaulinephilpott
https://twitter.com/janephilpott
Mississauga South/Mississauga-Lakeshore
(right now it's Mississauga South, but the final redistribution report alters the boundaries somewhat and changes the name of the riding)
Julie Desjardins
http://www.mississauga.com/news-story/4079645-desjardins-seeks-liberal-nomination-in-mississauga-south
Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill
Jason Cherniak
http://www.jasoncherniak.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/liberaljason
https://twitter.com/Cherniak
Dorval-Lachine
Alain Berinstain
http://alain.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/AlainDorvalLachine
https://twitter.com/alainbb
Scarborough North
Logan Kanapathi
http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/4146802-markham-councillor-to-seek-liberal-nomination/
Scarborough South West
Amy Robichaud
http://www.amyrobichaud.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/Amy4SSW
https://twitter.com/Amy_Robichaud
Richmond Hill
Brian Chamberlain
https://www.facebook.com/ChamberlainRichmondHill
Scarborough-Rouge Park
Gary Anandasangaree
http://voteforgary.ca/
And last, but certainly not least...
Ottawa West-Nepean
Anita Vandenbeld
https://www.facebook.com/ElectAnita
https://twitter.com/anitavandenbeld
I'll drop any pretence of neutrality I have here and say that it is great to see Anita running again. I served as youth co-chair of her campaign in 2011, designed her lawn signs and generated most of the content at http://youthforanita.blogspot.ca/.
Showing posts with label nominations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nominations. Show all posts
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Monday, March 14, 2011
Provincial nomination progress, NDP and Greens
Neither the ONDP or GPO have nominated a particularly large slate so far, so I combined them here.
The NDP haven't nominated a whole lot of candidates so far as I can tell, and they so far seemed to have focused on the GTA. I could only find one notice of someone running for an ONDP nomination up North, which I found surprising considering that the party wants to win more seats up there. 3 of the seats so far nominated could be described as target ridings - Ottawa Centre, London-Fanshawe, and York South-Weston.
The Greens obviously don't have any incumbent MPP's, and the focus has seemed to be on Eastern Ontario and the GTA. Of the seats where the Greens could be considered players last time around, only Ottawa Centre has nominated, with the top two targets for the party, Guelph and Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, still without candidates, although party leader
I'll periodically update these maps and have links to other provincial nomination news.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Provincial nomination progress, PC edition
Click the link for full sized version: http://i53.tinypic.com/2r4h2tk.png
The most colour-complex map, for start. The PC's have nominated almost all of their caucus, with only Steve Clark of Leeds-Grenville, Jerry Ouellette of Oshawa, and leader Tim Hudak yet to be officially nominated. I think we can probably assume Hudak will probably wait until just before the writ drops and use his nomination as a campaign kick-off event.
The PC's either have a candidate nominated, or have declared candidates, in most unheld ridings in southern Ontario, although they still have gaps in the GTA (particularly the GTA West, which I find somewhat surprising considering the seats in Mississauga, Brampton, and Etobikoe tend to be swing ridings), urban Ottawa, Guelph, Hamilton, Windsor, and Northern Ontario.
Of the top 10 closest ridings the PC's fell short in in 2007, the PC's have candidates nominated in 7 of them (Nippisisng, Barrie, Kitchener-Constoga, Eglinton-Lawrence, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, London-Fanshawe, and Oak Ridges-Markham) and have declared candidates for the nominated in the other 3 (ADFW, SD & SG, and Don Valley West). While the PC's have somewhat neglected urban Ontario, the GTA West suburbs, and Northern Ontario, they seem to be focused nomination wise on Southwestern Ontario and the east end of the GTA.
The PC's have nominated candidates in one of the seats with a retiring MPP, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, and have declared candidates for nominations in the other 2, Burlington and Cambridge. The PC's also have a unique sitution of an incumbent MPP facing a legitimate challenge for the nomination, with Norm Sterling, the longest serving PC MPP facing a challenge from his right with the Randy Hillier backed Jack Maclaren (who has been buying a ton of Facebook ad's) attempting to take him down.
I'll take a look at the NDP next time.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
A look at provincial candidate nomination progress - Liberals
So on a whim, I decided to whip up some tracking maps of each party's nomination progress, as far as I could tell. You'll probably want to click on the maps for full size, and to tell the colour shades apart. I've decided to include Sarah Thompson's rumoured campaign (since it seems pretty confirmed) in Trinity Spadina.
I'll post the progress of the other parties over the next few days.
Edit: Click the link for full size map - http://i56.tinypic.com/2dhtf5z.png
The OLP has nominated mostly incumbants to start with, focusing on mid-town Toronto, the outer suburbs, Southwestern Ontario, and Northern Ontario. The Liberals are being tactical in unheld ridings with either a nominated candidate, or an active nomination going on. Liberals have candidates in Halton and Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox & Addington, which were the 2 ridings the Liberals came closest to snatching from the PC's in 2007, Thornhill was only lost by 3.6% , Cambridge and Burlington were only lost by 7.6% and 3.5% respectively and have retiring PC incumbents, and while Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound is a bit of a longer shot, it too has a retiring PC MPP.
Liberals have active nomination processes in at least 2 ridings with retiring incumbants that I can identify, with 3 candidates going for the prize in Stormont-Dundas-South Glengary, and at least Nancy Fonseca has declared in Mississauga East-Cooksville.
I'll post the progress of the other parties over the next few days.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tory in-fighting in Mississauga South, part I don't even know anymore
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-bicker-in-key-toronto-area-ridings/article1897744/page1/
Conservatives in my home riding of Mississauga South must really miss the days when they could just throw a Kennedy on the ballot and have the rest of the election be a formality.
In the past few years, not a single election cycle has passed in Mississauga South without some fairly serious drama and infighting popping up, and both the federal and provincial sides. 2004-2006 candidate Phil Green was denied the chance to run a third time in the fall of 2006 (despite party insider Bob Dechert getting the go for a three-peat next door) which ruffled a few feathers. Green had this to say:
http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/2008/01/look-at-phil-greens-website.html
I was told by a Party official that the party would not allow me to be a candidate for nomination. No reasons were provided...I believe that in this matter the Conservative Party has shown a cavalier attitude towards our political freedoms and its pledge of fair, transparent and democratic nominations
And of course, following this, came the appointment of floor-crosser Tim Peterson as automatic PC candidate for the 2007 election, which backfired spectacularly and alienated the grassroots as 3 candidates had been actively going for the nod against Peterson. Former PC MPP Margaret Marland called the process "despicable" and Peterson was not allowed the speak at his own nomination meeting. Unsurprisingly, many Mississauga South PC activists were amongst the spearhead of the dump John Tory movement after the election.
And then came the actual federal nomination for the 08 election. After dragging the race out for months in hopes of a star candidate, the party finally allowed the nomination, which had some nastyiness of its own.
http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/2008/05/tim-peterson-angle-gets-played-against.html
Party establishment backed parachute candidate Ted Opitz was using cybersquatting and registering variants of other candidates names on url's to re-direct to his own website, which got him some flack, and his parachute status caused other candidates to label him the Tim Peterson of the race.
This also came out when Phil Green endorsed Hugh Arrison:
http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/2008/05/rise-of-hugh-arrison.html
"Green says Arrison has enjoyed a "tremendous" financial and business career and understands the concerns of the riding, because he lives in it."Just as important for me, Hugh knows that there can be a big difference between what is legal and what is the right thing to do," says Green, an obvious reference to candidate Major Ted Optiz's recent ploy to buy up web site domains that his opponents could potentially use and redirect people from those sites to his own
We also saw an anti-Opitz website, poking fun at this registration of domain names of other candidates: http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/2008/06/conservative-website-fun.html
Arrison ultimately won the nomination and lost to Paul Szabo. Arrison wanted to run again, and here is where the fun starts from today's article:
In nearby Mississauga South, currently held by Liberal Paul Szabo, long-time Conservative Hugh Arrison and his supporters allege he was kept out of running for the nomination to make way for Ms. Ambler last summer...Supporters of Ms. Ambler, meanwhile, say Mr. Arrison is an embittered failed candidate who had trouble co-operating with party officials...Several party sources say there had been bad feelings between Ms. Ambler and some Conservative members in Bramalea-Gore-Malton before she moved to Mississauga South...That same summer of 2009, Mr. Arrison in Mississauga South was starting to get bad vibes about the nomination in his riding.
Mr. Arrison had lost the 2008 federal election to Liberal incumbent Paul Szabo, but wanted to run for the nomination again. Mr. Arrison says he was called to a meeting in the summer of 2009 by Ms. Macgregor, the Greater Toronto Area Tory organizer.
Mr. Arrison says Ms. Macgregor asked him not to run for the nomination. Ms. Macgregor, now an aide to Tory Senator Con Di Nino, said she would have to check her notes about whether she met with Mr. Arrison, but did not return messages...Mr. Delorey said he could not comment on the details of a nomination. But a party source says Mr. Arrison was regarded inside the last campaign as unco-operative and a poor candidate.
Mr. Arrison refutes that view, saying he had lots of support within the party and even got a call from Flaherty in the days after the 2008 election congratulating him on his showing and encouraging him to run again. He came within 2,100 votes of defeating Mr. Szabo...Mr. Arrison refused to step aside after the meeting with Ms. Macgregor, and soon afterward began hearing that Ms. Ambler wanted to run in the riding...Ms. Ambler was acclaimed as the party's candidate in Mississauga South in June 2010. Mr. Arrison maintains a website, still in Conservative colours, that describes his disappointment with the party.
“There's certainly an awful lot of people that feel really disenfranchised, who feel very, very upset,” Mr. Arrison said in an interview.
“I guess I've had three or four hundred emails, lots of people who are even going to change their votes. It's definitely an issue because people really don't like it when you're told what you're going to do and your vote is completely ignored. That's the big issue. Do the people really count? Do members even matter, and apparently they don't.”"
And bringing it back to Phil Green, here is what he had to say when Ambler got appointed/acclaimed in a letter in the Mississauga News:
The Conservative Party has parachuted Stella Ambler into Mississauga South by calling a nomination for June 28, without opponents. Ambler, who works for Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, moved to Mississauga South last August from Bramalea-Gore-Malton, where she ran unsuccessfully in 2008...
Interfering in nominations corrodes our democracy. “A prime minister demeans local democracy when he parachutes a candidate into a riding over the objections of local members,” said Prime Minister Harper in 2005 — something he clearly no longer believes, or cares about...
The Conservative Party used to say that candidates should be nominated in a fair, transparent and democratic manner. I remain loyal to that principle. I refuse to vote for a candidate, even from my own party, that was not. Such a vote is a vote for the subversion of our democratic rights. If that offends my party today, too bad.
The PC's look like they are having a contested nomination for the provincial nod, and it will be interesting to see if they follow what is now a proud Mississauga South Conservative tradition.
Conservatives in my home riding of Mississauga South must really miss the days when they could just throw a Kennedy on the ballot and have the rest of the election be a formality.
In the past few years, not a single election cycle has passed in Mississauga South without some fairly serious drama and infighting popping up, and both the federal and provincial sides. 2004-2006 candidate Phil Green was denied the chance to run a third time in the fall of 2006 (despite party insider Bob Dechert getting the go for a three-peat next door) which ruffled a few feathers. Green had this to say:
http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/2008/01/look-at-phil-greens-website.html
I was told by a Party official that the party would not allow me to be a candidate for nomination. No reasons were provided...I believe that in this matter the Conservative Party has shown a cavalier attitude towards our political freedoms and its pledge of fair, transparent and democratic nominations
And of course, following this, came the appointment of floor-crosser Tim Peterson as automatic PC candidate for the 2007 election, which backfired spectacularly and alienated the grassroots as 3 candidates had been actively going for the nod against Peterson. Former PC MPP Margaret Marland called the process "despicable" and Peterson was not allowed the speak at his own nomination meeting. Unsurprisingly, many Mississauga South PC activists were amongst the spearhead of the dump John Tory movement after the election.
And then came the actual federal nomination for the 08 election. After dragging the race out for months in hopes of a star candidate, the party finally allowed the nomination, which had some nastyiness of its own.
http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/2008/05/tim-peterson-angle-gets-played-against.html
Party establishment backed parachute candidate Ted Opitz was using cybersquatting and registering variants of other candidates names on url's to re-direct to his own website, which got him some flack, and his parachute status caused other candidates to label him the Tim Peterson of the race.
This also came out when Phil Green endorsed Hugh Arrison:
http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/2008/05/rise-of-hugh-arrison.html
"Green says Arrison has enjoyed a "tremendous" financial and business career and understands the concerns of the riding, because he lives in it."Just as important for me, Hugh knows that there can be a big difference between what is legal and what is the right thing to do," says Green, an obvious reference to candidate Major Ted Optiz's recent ploy to buy up web site domains that his opponents could potentially use and redirect people from those sites to his own
We also saw an anti-Opitz website, poking fun at this registration of domain names of other candidates: http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/2008/06/conservative-website-fun.html
Arrison ultimately won the nomination and lost to Paul Szabo. Arrison wanted to run again, and here is where the fun starts from today's article:
In nearby Mississauga South, currently held by Liberal Paul Szabo, long-time Conservative Hugh Arrison and his supporters allege he was kept out of running for the nomination to make way for Ms. Ambler last summer...Supporters of Ms. Ambler, meanwhile, say Mr. Arrison is an embittered failed candidate who had trouble co-operating with party officials...Several party sources say there had been bad feelings between Ms. Ambler and some Conservative members in Bramalea-Gore-Malton before she moved to Mississauga South...That same summer of 2009, Mr. Arrison in Mississauga South was starting to get bad vibes about the nomination in his riding.
Mr. Arrison had lost the 2008 federal election to Liberal incumbent Paul Szabo, but wanted to run for the nomination again. Mr. Arrison says he was called to a meeting in the summer of 2009 by Ms. Macgregor, the Greater Toronto Area Tory organizer.
Mr. Arrison says Ms. Macgregor asked him not to run for the nomination. Ms. Macgregor, now an aide to Tory Senator Con Di Nino, said she would have to check her notes about whether she met with Mr. Arrison, but did not return messages...Mr. Delorey said he could not comment on the details of a nomination. But a party source says Mr. Arrison was regarded inside the last campaign as unco-operative and a poor candidate.
Mr. Arrison refutes that view, saying he had lots of support within the party and even got a call from Flaherty in the days after the 2008 election congratulating him on his showing and encouraging him to run again. He came within 2,100 votes of defeating Mr. Szabo...Mr. Arrison refused to step aside after the meeting with Ms. Macgregor, and soon afterward began hearing that Ms. Ambler wanted to run in the riding...Ms. Ambler was acclaimed as the party's candidate in Mississauga South in June 2010. Mr. Arrison maintains a website, still in Conservative colours, that describes his disappointment with the party.
“There's certainly an awful lot of people that feel really disenfranchised, who feel very, very upset,” Mr. Arrison said in an interview.
“I guess I've had three or four hundred emails, lots of people who are even going to change their votes. It's definitely an issue because people really don't like it when you're told what you're going to do and your vote is completely ignored. That's the big issue. Do the people really count? Do members even matter, and apparently they don't.”"
And bringing it back to Phil Green, here is what he had to say when Ambler got appointed/acclaimed in a letter in the Mississauga News:
The Conservative Party has parachuted Stella Ambler into Mississauga South by calling a nomination for June 28, without opponents. Ambler, who works for Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, moved to Mississauga South last August from Bramalea-Gore-Malton, where she ran unsuccessfully in 2008...
Interfering in nominations corrodes our democracy. “A prime minister demeans local democracy when he parachutes a candidate into a riding over the objections of local members,” said Prime Minister Harper in 2005 — something he clearly no longer believes, or cares about...
The Conservative Party used to say that candidates should be nominated in a fair, transparent and democratic manner. I remain loyal to that principle. I refuse to vote for a candidate, even from my own party, that was not. Such a vote is a vote for the subversion of our democratic rights. If that offends my party today, too bad.
The PC's look like they are having a contested nomination for the provincial nod, and it will be interesting to see if they follow what is now a proud Mississauga South Conservative tradition.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Nancy Branscombe, new PC candidate in London North Centre, has some interesting ideas about political integrity
Nancy Branscombe was nominated as Tim Hudak's candidate in London North Centre last night, and while Tim Hudak says that she will "fight for the priorities of families", given Nancy's personal record of political games, she has her own priorities.
Here's an article on how Nancy Branscombe does politics:
Calgary Herald Thu Jul 9 1998
She identified herself as Betty from London. But her real name was Nancy, from Peterborough.
A senior Reform Party official has landed in hot water for fibbing about her identity during a telephone call-in program on CBC Newsworld.
Nancy Branscombe, manager of Reform's United Alternative campaign, admits she gave a false name in order to criticize former Tory cabinet minister John Crosbie on the airwaves.
"I thought it was a harmless bit of fun, but obviously, in hindsight, it wasn't," Branscombe said Wednesday.
"I did say I was 'Betty from London.' I wouldn't do it again. I'm sorry it happened, but I don't know what else I can say."
The Betty blooper happened June 27 during CBC Newsworld's On The Line, an hour-long current affairs program which had Crosbie on as a guest.
Branscombe, who lives in Peterborough, Ont., felt she had to publicly challenge Crosbie for his on-air criticism of Reform.
She explained that she didn't feel the news network would let her on the air to talk to Crosbie if producers knew her real name.
Her ruse was exposed when an anonymous caller phoned the local media to tip them off about the real identity of "Betty."
The lie has drawn a rebuke, but no formal discipline from Reform Leader Preston Manning.
"Nancy's actions were clearly unacceptable," said Manning's press secretary Jim Armour.
"She understands that, and we're confident that it will not happen again. No further action will be taken on this matter."
Branscombe's job is among the most senior staff positions within the Reform Party.
She and Calgary Southeast MP Jason Kenney head the party's attempt to create a new political coalition, primarily with Conservatives, to fight the federal Liberals.
Branscombe ran unsuccessfully as a Reform candidate in Peterborough in last year's federal election.
She is a member of the provincial Tory party in Ontario.
An executive with the federal Conservatives in Peterborough said the incident shows Reform is desperate.
"She got caught in an out-and-out lie," Mary Rogers told the Peterborough Examiner.
Ruth-Ellen Soles, a spokeswoman for CBC in Toronto, told the paper Newsworld tries to screen out calls suspected to be "political plants" and said the network "takes these things very seriously."
It's common practice for political strategists to instruct supporters to flood radio or television talk shows with calls in an attempt to demonstrate support for, or against, particular issues.
But Branscombe said she has never lied about her identity in the past.
"No, believe me," she said
I think it's telling that Tim Hudak would want a backroom, Reform Party era backroom politico (and remember some of the values that Branscombe represented when she ran in 1997 - an end to multiculturalism, ending bilingualism, denial of climate change, and Reform MP's during this period made statements that gays and "ethnics" should be able to be fired at will by employers, although given Tim Hudak's promise to end human rights protections, maybe that explains a few things) with a questionable personal view about what is acceptable in politics to represent him and his party in a riding as important as London North Centre.
Here's an article on how Nancy Branscombe does politics:
Calgary Herald Thu Jul 9 1998
She identified herself as Betty from London. But her real name was Nancy, from Peterborough.
A senior Reform Party official has landed in hot water for fibbing about her identity during a telephone call-in program on CBC Newsworld.
Nancy Branscombe, manager of Reform's United Alternative campaign, admits she gave a false name in order to criticize former Tory cabinet minister John Crosbie on the airwaves.
"I thought it was a harmless bit of fun, but obviously, in hindsight, it wasn't," Branscombe said Wednesday.
"I did say I was 'Betty from London.' I wouldn't do it again. I'm sorry it happened, but I don't know what else I can say."
The Betty blooper happened June 27 during CBC Newsworld's On The Line, an hour-long current affairs program which had Crosbie on as a guest.
Branscombe, who lives in Peterborough, Ont., felt she had to publicly challenge Crosbie for his on-air criticism of Reform.
She explained that she didn't feel the news network would let her on the air to talk to Crosbie if producers knew her real name.
Her ruse was exposed when an anonymous caller phoned the local media to tip them off about the real identity of "Betty."
The lie has drawn a rebuke, but no formal discipline from Reform Leader Preston Manning.
"Nancy's actions were clearly unacceptable," said Manning's press secretary Jim Armour.
"She understands that, and we're confident that it will not happen again. No further action will be taken on this matter."
Branscombe's job is among the most senior staff positions within the Reform Party.
She and Calgary Southeast MP Jason Kenney head the party's attempt to create a new political coalition, primarily with Conservatives, to fight the federal Liberals.
Branscombe ran unsuccessfully as a Reform candidate in Peterborough in last year's federal election.
She is a member of the provincial Tory party in Ontario.
An executive with the federal Conservatives in Peterborough said the incident shows Reform is desperate.
"She got caught in an out-and-out lie," Mary Rogers told the Peterborough Examiner.
Ruth-Ellen Soles, a spokeswoman for CBC in Toronto, told the paper Newsworld tries to screen out calls suspected to be "political plants" and said the network "takes these things very seriously."
It's common practice for political strategists to instruct supporters to flood radio or television talk shows with calls in an attempt to demonstrate support for, or against, particular issues.
But Branscombe said she has never lied about her identity in the past.
"No, believe me," she said
I think it's telling that Tim Hudak would want a backroom, Reform Party era backroom politico (and remember some of the values that Branscombe represented when she ran in 1997 - an end to multiculturalism, ending bilingualism, denial of climate change, and Reform MP's during this period made statements that gays and "ethnics" should be able to be fired at will by employers, although given Tim Hudak's promise to end human rights protections, maybe that explains a few things) with a questionable personal view about what is acceptable in politics to represent him and his party in a riding as important as London North Centre.
Monday, January 3, 2011
New nomination news
Make sure to check out the Winter Tour kickoff in Ottawa West-Nepean with Michael Ignatieff and Anita Vandenbeld on Jan 12 if you're in the Ottawa-Gatineau area!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=173291749375363
____________________________________________
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Garrison+nomination+Esquimalt+Juan+Fuca/4053196/story.html
2004 and 2006 candidate and Esquimalt city councilour Randall Garrisson annouced today he would take another crack at Esquimalt-Juan De Fuca, with incumbant Liberal MP Keith Martin, who narrowly bested Garrisson in both elections not running again. Interestingly, provincial BC president Moe Sihota, who has come under fire at times for getting paid directly by BC unions, and the controversy now brewing over his handling of the potential BC NDP leadership candidacy of marijuana activist Dana Larsen was apparently also considering a run, but decided against it.
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Going+longest+shot/4044042/story.html
Some discussion of the possible upcoming Calgary Centre-North by-election, and if the Liberals can build on an upset victory in Winnipeg North with another suprisingly strong showing in Western Canada. Apparently the party has at least one interested candidate:
Fridhandler (the Alberta federal co-chair) has been courting a promising candidate for the riding -- a professor at the University of Calgary who is a political neophyte but, apparently, interested.
At one point I had heard rumours that outgoing Calgary mayor Dave Bronconnier was a possibility for the Liberal candidacy, so we'll see how that pans out.
The author of the piece also speculates that the Tories awarding the nomination to Michelle Rempel a loyal but lower profile party activist might also backfire.
She may turn out to be a terrific campaigner, but when parties reward faithful members with safe seats it suggests complacency.
The two candidates Naheed Nenshi defeated to win the mayorality, Ric McIver and Barb Higgins had at one point both expressed interest in the Tory nomination, but nothing ultimately came of that.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=173291749375363
____________________________________________
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Garrison+nomination+Esquimalt+Juan+Fuca/4053196/story.html
2004 and 2006 candidate and Esquimalt city councilour Randall Garrisson annouced today he would take another crack at Esquimalt-Juan De Fuca, with incumbant Liberal MP Keith Martin, who narrowly bested Garrisson in both elections not running again. Interestingly, provincial BC president Moe Sihota, who has come under fire at times for getting paid directly by BC unions, and the controversy now brewing over his handling of the potential BC NDP leadership candidacy of marijuana activist Dana Larsen was apparently also considering a run, but decided against it.
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Going+longest+shot/4044042/story.html
Some discussion of the possible upcoming Calgary Centre-North by-election, and if the Liberals can build on an upset victory in Winnipeg North with another suprisingly strong showing in Western Canada. Apparently the party has at least one interested candidate:
Fridhandler (the Alberta federal co-chair) has been courting a promising candidate for the riding -- a professor at the University of Calgary who is a political neophyte but, apparently, interested.
At one point I had heard rumours that outgoing Calgary mayor Dave Bronconnier was a possibility for the Liberal candidacy, so we'll see how that pans out.
The author of the piece also speculates that the Tories awarding the nomination to Michelle Rempel a loyal but lower profile party activist might also backfire.
She may turn out to be a terrific campaigner, but when parties reward faithful members with safe seats it suggests complacency.
The two candidates Naheed Nenshi defeated to win the mayorality, Ric McIver and Barb Higgins had at one point both expressed interest in the Tory nomination, but nothing ultimately came of that.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Hudak failing to attract female candidates
Taken from the "Team" section of the PC website, behold the diversity of Tim Hudak's PC Party
While the Ontario Liberals have done a pretty enviable job of attracting female candidates to run for office (something that I'm pretty personally passionate about), for example, having more women in cabinet than the opposition parties have MPP's, combined. The Ontario Liberals have also done a solid job of promoting policies that help women and families across the province, such as full day kindergarten.
However, while Tim Hudak and the PC's continue to attack such policies, he has also failed at attracting female candidates for his party for the next election. In a caucus that already has a lack of women (only 6 of his 25 MPP's are women) a look at the numbers of who has declared to run for PC nominations/have been nominated shows a distinct lack of women.
As far as I can tell from doing research from sources like the PC nomination thread on the Blogging Tories forum, here are the numbers by my count, so these might not be the exact numbers, but the trends are still visible:
Number of unheld ridings in which nomination meetings have already happened, or candidates have declared for the nomination: 27
Number of candidates who ran/are running for aforementioned nomination meetings: 51
Number of women who have run, or have declared to run, for a PC nomination: 13
Only 25% of the candidates who have taken a chance at running to be a candidate for the PC's have been women.
Number of unheld ridings in which no women have ran or declared for a nomination: 19
70% of unheld riding nominations have featured absolutely no women in the race.
Number of unheld ridings in which PC's have nominated a candidate so far: 17
Number of those ridings in which a woman has been nominated as the candidate: 3
Only 18% of unheld ridings have nominated a female candidate. It's worth noting that this 18% figure is significantly lower than the 24% of female representation Hudak's caucus currently has.
Number of contested nomination meetings which have featured a female candidate (so discounting appointments): 4
Number of women actually winning contested nomination meetings: 1
In only 25% of ridings in which PC voters had a chance to vote for a female candidate did they actually elect one.
However, while Tim Hudak and the PC's continue to attack such policies, he has also failed at attracting female candidates for his party for the next election. In a caucus that already has a lack of women (only 6 of his 25 MPP's are women) a look at the numbers of who has declared to run for PC nominations/have been nominated shows a distinct lack of women.
As far as I can tell from doing research from sources like the PC nomination thread on the Blogging Tories forum, here are the numbers by my count, so these might not be the exact numbers, but the trends are still visible:
Number of unheld ridings in which nomination meetings have already happened, or candidates have declared for the nomination: 27
Number of candidates who ran/are running for aforementioned nomination meetings: 51
Number of women who have run, or have declared to run, for a PC nomination: 13
Only 25% of the candidates who have taken a chance at running to be a candidate for the PC's have been women.
Number of unheld ridings in which no women have ran or declared for a nomination: 19
70% of unheld riding nominations have featured absolutely no women in the race.
Number of unheld ridings in which PC's have nominated a candidate so far: 17
Number of those ridings in which a woman has been nominated as the candidate: 3
Only 18% of unheld ridings have nominated a female candidate. It's worth noting that this 18% figure is significantly lower than the 24% of female representation Hudak's caucus currently has.
Number of contested nomination meetings which have featured a female candidate (so discounting appointments): 4
Number of women actually winning contested nomination meetings: 1
In only 25% of ridings in which PC voters had a chance to vote for a female candidate did they actually elect one.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Lots of nomination news for all!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/can-spurned-afghan-detainee-watchdog-topple-tory-mp/article1827850/
Solid candidate recruitment for the Liberals in Eastern Ontario, with Peter Tinsley,
former chair of the Military Police Complaints Commission, who will seek the Liberal nomination (and will almost certainly be the candidate) in Prince Edward-Hastings. Tinsley failed to be reappointed as chair after his investigations into the Afghan detainee file.
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/282425--braden-seeks-liberal-nomination
And a contested nomination is in the works in ADFW, with longtime municipal councilor and environmental activist Dave Braden seeking the Liberal nomination, alongside former Ancaster councillor Bryan Kerman, and Maple Leaf Foods vice-president for environmental affairs Anne Tennier of Waterdown.
http://www.nsnews.com/news/2011+bumper+year+sausages/3930128/story.html
Interesting race shaping up in North Vancouver for the Liberals, with municipal councilor Roger Bassam now facing Kevin O'Brien, a veteran MLA and former speaker of the assembly in Nunavut. No word on former Green candidate Jim Stepehenson, who seemed to have declared a run, possibly dropped out, and maybe jumped back in.
Read more: http://www.nsnews.com/news/2011+bumper+year+sausages/3930128/story.html#ixzz17YtOYADD
http://www.simcoe.com/news/article/911725--guergis-insists-she-still-has-support
This article on the Conservative nomination for Simcoe-Grey mentions a name I haven't seen mentioned before, Paul Throop, a longtime Tory activist and staffer to Peter MacKay, who will face off against Collingwood mayor Chris Carrier and the star candidate who seems heavily favoured by the party establishment,orthopedic surgeon Kellie Leitch.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/kootenayadvertiser/news/111282494.html
The Kootenay-Columbia Tory nomination has gained a new contestant, Dale Shudra, a local businessman.
http://www.ngnews.ca/News/Local/2010-11-30/article-2006683/County-councillor-David-Parker-seeking-federal-NDP-nomination/1
Rounding thing up, county councillor David Parker is looking for the NDP nomination for Central Nova. David is the brother of a local NDP MLA.
Solid candidate recruitment for the Liberals in Eastern Ontario, with Peter Tinsley,
former chair of the Military Police Complaints Commission, who will seek the Liberal nomination (and will almost certainly be the candidate) in Prince Edward-Hastings. Tinsley failed to be reappointed as chair after his investigations into the Afghan detainee file.
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/282425--braden-seeks-liberal-nomination
And a contested nomination is in the works in ADFW, with longtime municipal councilor and environmental activist Dave Braden seeking the Liberal nomination, alongside former Ancaster councillor Bryan Kerman, and Maple Leaf Foods vice-president for environmental affairs Anne Tennier of Waterdown.
http://www.nsnews.com/news/2011+bumper+year+sausages/3930128/story.html
Interesting race shaping up in North Vancouver for the Liberals, with municipal councilor Roger Bassam now facing Kevin O'Brien, a veteran MLA and former speaker of the assembly in Nunavut. No word on former Green candidate Jim Stepehenson, who seemed to have declared a run, possibly dropped out, and maybe jumped back in.
Read more: http://www.nsnews.com/news/2011+bumper+year+sausages/3930128/story.html#ixzz17YtOYADD
http://www.simcoe.com/news/article/911725--guergis-insists-she-still-has-support
This article on the Conservative nomination for Simcoe-Grey mentions a name I haven't seen mentioned before, Paul Throop, a longtime Tory activist and staffer to Peter MacKay, who will face off against Collingwood mayor Chris Carrier and the star candidate who seems heavily favoured by the party establishment,orthopedic surgeon Kellie Leitch.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/kootenayadvertiser/news/111282494.html
The Kootenay-Columbia Tory nomination has gained a new contestant, Dale Shudra, a local businessman.
http://www.ngnews.ca/News/Local/2010-11-30/article-2006683/County-councillor-David-Parker-seeking-federal-NDP-nomination/1
Rounding thing up, county councillor David Parker is looking for the NDP nomination for Central Nova. David is the brother of a local NDP MLA.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Tim Hudak faces PC civil war
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/denounces+rift+Tory+caucus/3921010/story.html
The Landowners are getting loud. The Randy Hillier and Landowner backed Jack MacLaren failed in his attempt to take over the Carleton-Mississipi Mills (where MacLaren is going to be running for the nomination against party stalwart Norm Sterling, with MacLaren apparently dramatically outselling Sterling in membership) but the war of words continues.
Ed Kennedy, a higher-up in the Landowners movement and an exec on Hillier's riding association says:
This all goes to demonstrate that there are red tories in the party pulling strings, in my estimation. The left knows and fears that the landowner movement is and will effect changes for the better that embody rural rights and Conservative values but due to the success of Randy Hillier, they failed to stop his entry. They fear two honest men in the party and the more in line to come.
This was not unexpected, the same thing happened to Shawn [ED NOTE: This is in reference to the controversial disqualification of Shawn Carmichael, a Landowner backed candidate in the Leeds-Grenville PC nomination, which I covered extensively: http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/2010/02/trouble-brewing-for-tories-in-leeds.html] and is more of the same old, same old. The party had been giving Jack a hard time all along since it was known he was going to run.
The loser of course is the party, choosing bootlickers of questionable character over honest men.
And Norm Sterling has struck back, accusing Randy Hillier of supporting MacLaren out of his office, and going as far to suggest that Hillier, who was a strong supporter of Hudak for PC leadership and shares his goal of attacking human rights in Ontario, should leave the PC Party:
"I believe that (Randy Hillier) should either fish or cut bait," Sterling said Thursday. "He should either be a member of the team or he should step outside the team and run as an Ontario Landowner under his own party label...
He said Hillier's office was helping Mac-Laren sell party memberships, and thus votes in the riding-association election, in the run-up to Wednesday's meeting. "He's very much involved," Sterling said.
Sterling called Hillier and MacLaren "political opportunists."
"They want to use the good name of the Progressive Conservative party to push their very narrow and right-wing agenda into the provincial arena," he said. "They don't believe in conservation authorities, they don't believe in milk marketing boards, they go so far as to say let's abandon our planning laws in the province of Ontario."
Sterling says an "uncomfortable" rift has now opened up within caucus, given Hillier's continued desire to unseat him and others."
Hudak issued a weak statement calling for party unity, which was promptly rebuffed by Sterling:
"I really believe the party has to deal with this issue," Sterling said in an interview Thursday. "You can't be wasting your energies on annual (riding association) meetings. I understand in a nomination meeting, if someone wants to run against you that's fine and dandy. It's part of our process. But to take over our organization when you haven't really been part of it and turn it into the Ontario Landowners Party under the name of PC? That shouldn't take place."
What will Hudak do, support the radical right tendency that he himself has openly played to and had the support of for leader, or his party's longest serving MPP?
The Landowners are getting loud. The Randy Hillier and Landowner backed Jack MacLaren failed in his attempt to take over the Carleton-Mississipi Mills (where MacLaren is going to be running for the nomination against party stalwart Norm Sterling, with MacLaren apparently dramatically outselling Sterling in membership) but the war of words continues.
Ed Kennedy, a higher-up in the Landowners movement and an exec on Hillier's riding association says:
This all goes to demonstrate that there are red tories in the party pulling strings, in my estimation. The left knows and fears that the landowner movement is and will effect changes for the better that embody rural rights and Conservative values but due to the success of Randy Hillier, they failed to stop his entry. They fear two honest men in the party and the more in line to come.
This was not unexpected, the same thing happened to Shawn [ED NOTE: This is in reference to the controversial disqualification of Shawn Carmichael, a Landowner backed candidate in the Leeds-Grenville PC nomination, which I covered extensively: http://theliberalscarf.blogspot.com/2010/02/trouble-brewing-for-tories-in-leeds.html] and is more of the same old, same old. The party had been giving Jack a hard time all along since it was known he was going to run.
The loser of course is the party, choosing bootlickers of questionable character over honest men.
And Norm Sterling has struck back, accusing Randy Hillier of supporting MacLaren out of his office, and going as far to suggest that Hillier, who was a strong supporter of Hudak for PC leadership and shares his goal of attacking human rights in Ontario, should leave the PC Party:
"I believe that (Randy Hillier) should either fish or cut bait," Sterling said Thursday. "He should either be a member of the team or he should step outside the team and run as an Ontario Landowner under his own party label...
He said Hillier's office was helping Mac-Laren sell party memberships, and thus votes in the riding-association election, in the run-up to Wednesday's meeting. "He's very much involved," Sterling said.
Sterling called Hillier and MacLaren "political opportunists."
"They want to use the good name of the Progressive Conservative party to push their very narrow and right-wing agenda into the provincial arena," he said. "They don't believe in conservation authorities, they don't believe in milk marketing boards, they go so far as to say let's abandon our planning laws in the province of Ontario."
Sterling says an "uncomfortable" rift has now opened up within caucus, given Hillier's continued desire to unseat him and others."
Hudak issued a weak statement calling for party unity, which was promptly rebuffed by Sterling:
"I really believe the party has to deal with this issue," Sterling said in an interview Thursday. "You can't be wasting your energies on annual (riding association) meetings. I understand in a nomination meeting, if someone wants to run against you that's fine and dandy. It's part of our process. But to take over our organization when you haven't really been part of it and turn it into the Ontario Landowners Party under the name of PC? That shouldn't take place."
What will Hudak do, support the radical right tendency that he himself has openly played to and had the support of for leader, or his party's longest serving MPP?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
One week to go!
http://www.youthforanita.blogspot.com/
Only one week remains before the vote for the federal Liberal nomination for Ottawa West-Nepean, and the energy around Anita's campaign is great. Anita had another of her successful Starbucks meet and greets yesterday, talking with lots of great Liberals and lots of interested non-Liberals who have been drawn to the positive energy of her campaign, and later today I'll be going to a campaign meeting to prep for the nomination day. We've got a great youth team, and I'm grateful so many people have volunteered time and energy for the nomination campaign to try and help to elect a real champion for youth engagement.
Stay tuned to the Youth for Anita Vandenbeld blog throughout the week for all your nomination info!
Support Anita on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Anita-Vandenbeld-for-Ottawa-West-Nepean/117490804958455
Let's try and break 300 likes before nomination day!
Anita on Twitter: http://twitter.com/anitavandenbeld
And Anita's campaign website: http://www.electanita.ca/
Only one week remains before the vote for the federal Liberal nomination for Ottawa West-Nepean, and the energy around Anita's campaign is great. Anita had another of her successful Starbucks meet and greets yesterday, talking with lots of great Liberals and lots of interested non-Liberals who have been drawn to the positive energy of her campaign, and later today I'll be going to a campaign meeting to prep for the nomination day. We've got a great youth team, and I'm grateful so many people have volunteered time and energy for the nomination campaign to try and help to elect a real champion for youth engagement.
Stay tuned to the Youth for Anita Vandenbeld blog throughout the week for all your nomination info!
Support Anita on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Anita-Vandenbeld-for-Ottawa-West-Nepean/117490804958455
Let's try and break 300 likes before nomination day!
Anita on Twitter: http://twitter.com/anitavandenbeld
And Anita's campaign website: http://www.electanita.ca/
Friday, November 19, 2010
Great youth support for Anita Vandenbeld!
http://youthforanita.blogspot.com/p/endorsements.html
We've got more endorsements up from youth across Ottawa who are rallying behind Anita's campaign. Anita is a champion for youth engagement, and has been heads and shoulders above the other candidates in having youth play a leadership role in her campaign. Join our team and help get Anita nominated on the 28th!
FB event for the nomination: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=153624181348800
And make sure to support Anita on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Anita-Vandenbeld-for-Ottawa-West-Nepean/117490804958455
And Twitter: http://twitter.com/anitavandenbeld
We've got more endorsements up from youth across Ottawa who are rallying behind Anita's campaign. Anita is a champion for youth engagement, and has been heads and shoulders above the other candidates in having youth play a leadership role in her campaign. Join our team and help get Anita nominated on the 28th!
FB event for the nomination: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=153624181348800
And make sure to support Anita on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Anita-Vandenbeld-for-Ottawa-West-Nepean/117490804958455
And Twitter: http://twitter.com/anitavandenbeld
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Carleton Equal Voice Chapter launch party a great success!
Anita Vandenbeld's youth campaign chair has her take on the event: http://youthforanita.blogspot.com/2010/11/carleton-equal-voice-chapter-launch-and.html
As an executive on the Carleton Equal Voice Chapter, I was thrilled with how well attended the launch event was. As guest speakers we had Hon. Michael Chong, Hon, Carolyn Bennett, and Niki Ashton MP, who all had interesting things to say about how we need to change Canadian politics and get more women involved. I'm honoured to be involved both with Equal Voice's Carleton chapter, and with Anita Vandenbeld's campaign to help elect a strong women to Parliament.
As an executive on the Carleton Equal Voice Chapter, I was thrilled with how well attended the launch event was. As guest speakers we had Hon. Michael Chong, Hon, Carolyn Bennett, and Niki Ashton MP, who all had interesting things to say about how we need to change Canadian politics and get more women involved. I'm honoured to be involved both with Equal Voice's Carleton chapter, and with Anita Vandenbeld's campaign to help elect a strong women to Parliament.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
A great youth endorsement for Anita Vandenebeld
http://youthforanita.blogspot.com/2010/11/great-youth-endorsement-for-anita.html
With the campaign getting into crunch time, it's great to see a campaign that not only reaches out and engages youth, but has them play a real leadership role. Anita's campaign and her efforts to involve youth in the political process have Young Liberals all across Ottawa talking! Join us on Nov 28th and elect a champion for youth, Anita Vandenbeld!
With the campaign getting into crunch time, it's great to see a campaign that not only reaches out and engages youth, but has them play a real leadership role. Anita's campaign and her efforts to involve youth in the political process have Young Liberals all across Ottawa talking! Join us on Nov 28th and elect a champion for youth, Anita Vandenbeld!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Ottawa West-Nepean nomination called! Support Anita Vandenbeld on November 28th!
Regular readers of my blog know that I talk a lot about nomination news, and I have some big news today, the Ottawa West-Nepean Liberal nomination has been called!
I've been very involved with a great candidate for the nomination, Anita Vandenbeld. Anita is a long-time Liberal, and has worked for the United Nations and other international organizations to promote democracy and women's rights across the world, and is running to help defend and restore the value of democratic participation and women in government from a Conservative government that has abused our democratic institutions.
You can get more info on Anita's campaign by following the Youth for Anita blog (which I contribute to): http://youthforanita.blogspot.com/
Becoming a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Anita-Vandenbeld-for-Ottawa-West-Nepean/117490804958455
Following her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/anitavandenbeld
And of course, visiting her website: http://www.electanita.ca/
Let's elect a champion for Ottawa West-Nepean!
I've been very involved with a great candidate for the nomination, Anita Vandenbeld. Anita is a long-time Liberal, and has worked for the United Nations and other international organizations to promote democracy and women's rights across the world, and is running to help defend and restore the value of democratic participation and women in government from a Conservative government that has abused our democratic institutions.
You can get more info on Anita's campaign by following the Youth for Anita blog (which I contribute to): http://youthforanita.blogspot.com/
Becoming a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Anita-Vandenbeld-for-Ottawa-West-Nepean/117490804958455
Following her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/anitavandenbeld
And of course, visiting her website: http://www.electanita.ca/
Let's elect a champion for Ottawa West-Nepean!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Nomination news from PEI and Quebec
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2010/10/22/pei-charlottetown-liberal-casey-584.html
The federal Liberal nomination in Charlottetown has a declared contender, with lawyer Sean Casey jumping in. Casey has deep roots in the party and in Charlottetown, serving as past president of the Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island and the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1208969.html
Staying out east, former PC MLA and cabinet minister David Morse says he will run for the Conservative nomination in Kings-Hants. Morse had been the MLA for Kings South, but was defeated in the NDP wave which swept Nova Scotia in 2009. Interestingly, Morse confirmed what many have accused the Tories of, favouring government held ridings as part of government spending:
"It is increasingly obvious that Kings-Hants has paid a price as we have been left out of discretionary federal projects," Morse said in the release."
Interesting to see how those comments go over.
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/201010/27/01-4336693-le-bloc-confirmera-le-recrutement-dun-ancien-du-npd.php
And a bit of a grab for the BQ in Montreal, with former NDP candidate in Hochelaga Jean-Claude Rocheleau running for the BQ in the east-end riding of La Pointe-de-l'Île, being vacated by Francine Lalonde. The riding is a BQ stronghold, with Lalonde generally winning by 40-50% of the vote over her nearest competition.
The federal Liberal nomination in Charlottetown has a declared contender, with lawyer Sean Casey jumping in. Casey has deep roots in the party and in Charlottetown, serving as past president of the Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island and the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1208969.html
Staying out east, former PC MLA and cabinet minister David Morse says he will run for the Conservative nomination in Kings-Hants. Morse had been the MLA for Kings South, but was defeated in the NDP wave which swept Nova Scotia in 2009. Interestingly, Morse confirmed what many have accused the Tories of, favouring government held ridings as part of government spending:
"It is increasingly obvious that Kings-Hants has paid a price as we have been left out of discretionary federal projects," Morse said in the release."
Interesting to see how those comments go over.
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/201010/27/01-4336693-le-bloc-confirmera-le-recrutement-dun-ancien-du-npd.php
And a bit of a grab for the BQ in Montreal, with former NDP candidate in Hochelaga Jean-Claude Rocheleau running for the BQ in the east-end riding of La Pointe-de-l'Île, being vacated by Francine Lalonde. The riding is a BQ stronghold, with Lalonde generally winning by 40-50% of the vote over her nearest competition.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Possible candidates for Liberals surface
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2010-10-14/article-1846765/Shawn-Murphy-to-enter-less-intense-phase-of-life-/1
With Charlottetown MP Shawn Murphy not running in the next election, this article discusses a few potential candidates to replace him as Liberal candidate,
including provincial Liberal cabinet ministers Richard Brown and Doug Currie, UPEI president Wade MacLauchlan and Charlottetown businessman Sean Casey, the husband of MLA Kathleen Casey, who also serves speaker of the P.E.I. legislature.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/will-rocco-rossis-campaign-have-a-sequel/article1757322/
And according to one of those wonderful nameless Liberal sources, Rocco Rossi is a possible if unlikely candidate for the Liberals for the Vaughn by-election to go head to head with new Tory candidate Julian Fantino.
With Charlottetown MP Shawn Murphy not running in the next election, this article discusses a few potential candidates to replace him as Liberal candidate,
including provincial Liberal cabinet ministers Richard Brown and Doug Currie, UPEI president Wade MacLauchlan and Charlottetown businessman Sean Casey, the husband of MLA Kathleen Casey, who also serves speaker of the P.E.I. legislature.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/will-rocco-rossis-campaign-have-a-sequel/article1757322/
And according to one of those wonderful nameless Liberal sources, Rocco Rossi is a possible if unlikely candidate for the Liberals for the Vaughn by-election to go head to head with new Tory candidate Julian Fantino.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Prince George area nomination news
The Tory nomination in this soon to be vacant riding has a new contender, Tumbler Ridge Councillor Jerrilyn Schembri.
http://www.energeticcity.ca/fortstjohn/news/10/11/10/five-candidates-now-running-conservative-nomination
While several other candidates in the race have backgrounds in municipal politics, Schembri does bring a couple interesting dynamics to the race. First, in addition to being the only female candidate in the race, Schembri could potentially be the first centre-right female candidate to right in the riding ever. A look back at the candidates for the Conservative Party/Canadian Alliance/Reform Party/PC Party/Social Credit Party candidates for the riding (and counting the old riding of Cariboo) a grand total of zero of those candidates have been female, as far as I can tell. Secondly, compared to the old school Tory roots of the other competitors, she has only been a party member for a few months. Given that the riding is one of the safest for conservative parties in the country, (since 1945, it has had non conservative (Socred, PC, Reform, Alliance, Conservative) MP's only between 45-49 and 68-72) it might be safe to assume a fairly large and active party base, so unless she can sell a ton of new memberships she might have trouble cracking into the old boys club.
Keeping in the same area, this is a couple weeks old, but still has something:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_thompson_nicola/kamloopsthisweek/news/104108503.html
The Christian Heritage Party will have candidate in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, with 2006 Cariboo-Prince George CHP candidate Chris Kempling setting a target of 1,000 votes, but the article also says that former riding association presidnt Murray Todd has put his name forward for the Liberals.
http://www.energeticcity.ca/fortstjohn/news/10/11/10/five-candidates-now-running-conservative-nomination
While several other candidates in the race have backgrounds in municipal politics, Schembri does bring a couple interesting dynamics to the race. First, in addition to being the only female candidate in the race, Schembri could potentially be the first centre-right female candidate to right in the riding ever. A look back at the candidates for the Conservative Party/Canadian Alliance/Reform Party/PC Party/Social Credit Party candidates for the riding (and counting the old riding of Cariboo) a grand total of zero of those candidates have been female, as far as I can tell. Secondly, compared to the old school Tory roots of the other competitors, she has only been a party member for a few months. Given that the riding is one of the safest for conservative parties in the country, (since 1945, it has had non conservative (Socred, PC, Reform, Alliance, Conservative) MP's only between 45-49 and 68-72) it might be safe to assume a fairly large and active party base, so unless she can sell a ton of new memberships she might have trouble cracking into the old boys club.
Keeping in the same area, this is a couple weeks old, but still has something:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_thompson_nicola/kamloopsthisweek/news/104108503.html
The Christian Heritage Party will have candidate in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, with 2006 Cariboo-Prince George CHP candidate Chris Kempling setting a target of 1,000 votes, but the article also says that former riding association presidnt Murray Todd has put his name forward for the Liberals.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
BC nomination candidates for Liberals and Conservatives
Lot of news coming out of BC lately, it seems. Here we go.
http://www.nsnews.com/news/Bassam+face+nomination+fight/3650685/story.html
Former District of North Vancouver councillor Roger Bassam who was rumoured to be interested in the Liberal nomination for the federal riding of the same name, has officially entered the race. The article also mentions former Green Party candidate Jim Stephenson as "an official federal Liberal nomination candidate", although I had heard that he had previously dropped out, unless he has decided to re-enter the race. Bassam was a former assisstant to previous Liberal MP Don Bell, and the article frames a potential race between Bassam and Stepehnson as perhaps being a battle between Liberal voters who want to continue in Bell's footsteps and elect a candidate with close ties to him, and more left-wing Liberals who want a candidate that can perhaps steal votes from the NDP and Green Party.
http://www.energeticcity.ca/fortstjohn/news/10/07/10/cameron-stoltz-seeking-conservative-nomination
The already crowded race for the federal Conservative nomination in Jay Hill's seat has another contender, Cameron Stoltz, a city councillor from Prince George. An interesting side note of the race is that the 3 other candidates all have education backgrounds; longtime Tory organizer Don Irwin, a local municipal councilor and principal of a local Christian high school, Bob Zimmer, longtime Conservative activist and high school teacher, and Dan Davies, another city councilor and teacher. Zimmers's campaign if he were to win would be interesting for the federal party, as local anti-HST forces seem to have lined up behind his campaign. Zimmer is also active with the local upstart BC Conservative Party (http://www.northeastnews.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=631:movement-underway-to-revive-bc-conservative-party-&catid=10:news&Itemid=12) which has campaigned hard against the HST. With Hill stepping down from the House in a few weeks, it looks to be a fast and furious nomination campaign.
http://www.nsnews.com/news/Bassam+face+nomination+fight/3650685/story.html
Former District of North Vancouver councillor Roger Bassam who was rumoured to be interested in the Liberal nomination for the federal riding of the same name, has officially entered the race. The article also mentions former Green Party candidate Jim Stephenson as "an official federal Liberal nomination candidate", although I had heard that he had previously dropped out, unless he has decided to re-enter the race. Bassam was a former assisstant to previous Liberal MP Don Bell, and the article frames a potential race between Bassam and Stepehnson as perhaps being a battle between Liberal voters who want to continue in Bell's footsteps and elect a candidate with close ties to him, and more left-wing Liberals who want a candidate that can perhaps steal votes from the NDP and Green Party.
http://www.energeticcity.ca/fortstjohn/news/10/07/10/cameron-stoltz-seeking-conservative-nomination
The already crowded race for the federal Conservative nomination in Jay Hill's seat has another contender, Cameron Stoltz, a city councillor from Prince George. An interesting side note of the race is that the 3 other candidates all have education backgrounds; longtime Tory organizer Don Irwin, a local municipal councilor and principal of a local Christian high school, Bob Zimmer, longtime Conservative activist and high school teacher, and Dan Davies, another city councilor and teacher. Zimmers's campaign if he were to win would be interesting for the federal party, as local anti-HST forces seem to have lined up behind his campaign. Zimmer is also active with the local upstart BC Conservative Party (http://www.northeastnews.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=631:movement-underway-to-revive-bc-conservative-party-&catid=10:news&Itemid=12) which has campaigned hard against the HST. With Hill stepping down from the House in a few weeks, it looks to be a fast and furious nomination campaign.
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