Omnibus: Conservative Leadership Race
- Thread starter mentalfloss
- Start date
OTTAWA - Michelle Rempel Garner, a longtime Conservative MP from Calgary, says she’s stepping back from the federal Conservative leadership race to consider running for Jason Kenney’s job.
Rempel Garner ‘was‘ serving as co-chair on Patrick Brown’s leadership campaign when Kenney stunned many last month by announcing he was resigning as premier of Alberta and leader of the United Conservative Party after narrowly surviving a leadership review.
www.thestar.com
Rempel Garner ‘was‘ serving as co-chair on Patrick Brown’s leadership campaign when Kenney stunned many last month by announcing he was resigning as premier of Alberta and leader of the United Conservative Party after narrowly surviving a leadership review.
Michelle Rempel Garner exits Patrick Brown campaign to consider UCP leadership run
OTTAWA - Michelle Rempel Garner, a longtime Conservative MP from Calgary, says she’s stepping back from the federal Conservative leadership race to consider running for Jason Kenney’s job.
Patrick Brown's campaign manager joins Michelle Rempel Garner for possible UCP leadership bid
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Stephanie Taylor
Publishing date:Jun 22, 2022 • 7 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
OTTAWA — Patrick Brown’s campaign manager has left to help Michelle Rempel Garner with her possible bid to lead the United Conservative Party in Alberta.
Brown’s Conservative leadership campaign says Sean Schnell has stepped away to follow Rempel Garner, who announced last week she was leaving her role as Brown’s national co-chair.
Rempel Garner is considering a run to replace Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in his job as leader of the provincial party, following his decision to resign after narrowly surviving a leadership review last month.
Schnell had worked for Rempel Garner’s office before either leadership race began.
Chisholm Pothier, a spokesman for Brown, said Schnell stuck around for a few days after deciding to go with Rempel Garner so that he could help the team through the transition.
Pothier says Fred DeLorey, who served as the federal party’s national campaign manager for the 2021 federal election, remains on the team as the executive chairman.
Rempel Garner has yet to declare whether or not she’s going to enter the contest, but was recently granted an enabling waiver because UCP rules require candidates to have been a party member for at least six months.
Over the past month, Brown has lost the support of two Conservative MPs — Ontario’s Kyle Seeback and Dan Muys — to his main rival for the leadership, Ottawa-area MP Pierre Poilievre.
Brown’s campaign has brushed off their decisions, saying it counts for just two votes out of the more than 150,000 new members it says he signed up.
Poilievre has said he sold nearly 312,000 memberships — a record-breaking number — and asked the party to validate those figures, which it has declined to do.
With the party looking at having a voting base of more than 600,000 members, it is working to get a national list of their names to campaigns no later than July 4.
But at least one campaign is calling for a voter list to be released in the interim.
Mike Coates, the chairman of Jean Charest’s leadership campaign, wrote earlier in the week to the head of the party’s leadership election organizing committee asking for it to release a list of the members it has to date.
“We know that because of the significant processing delays at headquarters, many people purchased a duplicate membership because they did not receive a confirmation that they were a member and eligible to vote in the leadership race,” Coates wrote in a letter, which Charest posted to Twitter on Wednesday.
In this letter Coates went on to cite “worrisome” reports that membership sales numbers have been inflated.
“We trust party headquarters’ ability to weed out duplicates and ineligible members, but we also believe the campaigns need transparency on where these duplicates originated.”
The winner of the Conservative leadership race is scheduled to be announced in Ottawa on Sept. 10.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Stephanie Taylor
Publishing date:Jun 22, 2022 • 7 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
OTTAWA — Patrick Brown’s campaign manager has left to help Michelle Rempel Garner with her possible bid to lead the United Conservative Party in Alberta.
Brown’s Conservative leadership campaign says Sean Schnell has stepped away to follow Rempel Garner, who announced last week she was leaving her role as Brown’s national co-chair.
Rempel Garner is considering a run to replace Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in his job as leader of the provincial party, following his decision to resign after narrowly surviving a leadership review last month.
Schnell had worked for Rempel Garner’s office before either leadership race began.
Chisholm Pothier, a spokesman for Brown, said Schnell stuck around for a few days after deciding to go with Rempel Garner so that he could help the team through the transition.
Pothier says Fred DeLorey, who served as the federal party’s national campaign manager for the 2021 federal election, remains on the team as the executive chairman.
Rempel Garner has yet to declare whether or not she’s going to enter the contest, but was recently granted an enabling waiver because UCP rules require candidates to have been a party member for at least six months.
Over the past month, Brown has lost the support of two Conservative MPs — Ontario’s Kyle Seeback and Dan Muys — to his main rival for the leadership, Ottawa-area MP Pierre Poilievre.
Brown’s campaign has brushed off their decisions, saying it counts for just two votes out of the more than 150,000 new members it says he signed up.
Poilievre has said he sold nearly 312,000 memberships — a record-breaking number — and asked the party to validate those figures, which it has declined to do.
With the party looking at having a voting base of more than 600,000 members, it is working to get a national list of their names to campaigns no later than July 4.
But at least one campaign is calling for a voter list to be released in the interim.
Mike Coates, the chairman of Jean Charest’s leadership campaign, wrote earlier in the week to the head of the party’s leadership election organizing committee asking for it to release a list of the members it has to date.
“We know that because of the significant processing delays at headquarters, many people purchased a duplicate membership because they did not receive a confirmation that they were a member and eligible to vote in the leadership race,” Coates wrote in a letter, which Charest posted to Twitter on Wednesday.
In this letter Coates went on to cite “worrisome” reports that membership sales numbers have been inflated.
“We trust party headquarters’ ability to weed out duplicates and ineligible members, but we also believe the campaigns need transparency on where these duplicates originated.”
The winner of the Conservative leadership race is scheduled to be announced in Ottawa on Sept. 10.
Patrick Brown's campaign manager joins Michelle Rempel Garner for possible UCP leadership bid
Patrick Brown's campaign manager has left to help Michelle Rempel Garner with her possible bid to lead United Conservative Party in Alberta.
Brown considering a run in Brampton mayoral race if rival Poilievre looks likely to win Tory leadership — CBC News
Brampton, Ont. Mayor Patrick Brown says he's considering a run for re-election if it seems he’s going to lose to Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre in the party’s September leadership race.
“If?”
I don't suppose getting a job occurred to him?
Brown considering a run in Brampton mayoral race if rival Poilievre looks likely to win Tory leadership — CBC News
Brampton, Ont. Mayor Patrick Brown says he's considering a run for re-election if it seems he’s going to lose to Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre in the party’s September leadership race.apple.news
“If?”
It is a Poilievre Majority!
60 MPs - a majority of elected Conservatives - have endorsed me and my plan to put Canadians back in control of their lives in the world’s freest nation.
Chip in to help power our movement: http://Pierre4PM.ca/donate
60 MPs - a majority of elected Conservatives - have endorsed me and my plan to put Canadians back in control of their lives in the world’s freest nation.
Chip in to help power our movement: http://Pierre4PM.ca/donate
At least we get to see brown's real opinions come out, and big surprise, it's sour grapes.
In my opinion, what speaks to a person's character is not how they conduct themselves when things are good, but how they conduct themselves when things are bad.
www.PatrickBrownSucks.com
The fact that Brown's group was caught cheating and playing fast and lose with monetary rules couldn't possibly have anything to do with it?
The email from the party came to members yesterday.
The email from the party came to members yesterday.
![icegif-675[1].gif](https://forums.canadiancontent.net/data/attachments/12/12875-bb91f9bb4369117ffcc08a299c868fb6.jpg "icegif-675[1].gif")
Whistleblower claims Patrick Brown arranged her payment by third-party company
Debra Jodoin says in a statement released through her lawyer that she briefly worked as a regional organizer for his campaign
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Stephanie Taylor
Publishing date:Jul 08, 2022 • 11 hours ago • 4 minute read • 126 Comments
OTTAWA — A longtime Conservative organizer says Patrick Brown was personally involved in an arrangement that saw her paid by a third-party company for work she did on his leadership campaign.
Debra Jodoin, through her lawyer, released a statement Thursday evening after the party spent the past two days dealing with the fallout from Brown’s disqualification from the race.
The chairman of the party’s leadership election organizing committee said Tuesday its members voted 11 to six to disqualify him from the campaign due to “serious allegations of wrongdoing.”
Brown has maintained he was not provided with details by the party about the accusation against him. He said what the committee was presented with was an anonymous allegation that someone working on his campaign was being paid by a corporation.
While the party hasn’t released details of the allegation, it has said it appeared to contravene financing rules under the Canada Elections Act and came from within Brown’s own campaign.
On Thursday, Jodoin, who describes herself as an experienced organizer who has been involved with the party and its predecessor for more than 20 years, revealed herself to be the whistleblower.
Jodoin said in April 2022, the month after Brown announced he would enter the contest to replace former Tory leader Erin O’Toole, she joined the campaign “at his request” to assist as a regional organizer.
“Mr. Brown told me that it was permissible for me to be employed by a company as a consultant, and then for that company to have me volunteer with the campaign,” she said.
“He connected me by text message with a third-party for that purpose. I trusted him, but as time went on I became increasingly concerned with the arrangement and suspected it was not OK.”
The statement said in June, she asked Brown that the campaign pick up her expenses, saying that he expressed surprise and communicated he was “on it.”
“A corporation paid me and paid for my expenses, not the Brown campaign,” she said.
Her lawyer Jason Beitchman said Jodoin shared her concerns with the party and requested that her identity be kept confidential.
“On that basis, she felt it was her obligation to raise her concerns, and leave it to others to determine what further steps should be taken, if any,” said Beitchman.
“Ms. Jodoin expressly rejects any suggestion that she was coerced or pressured by others to come forward and did so of her own volition.”
After Jodoin released her statement Thursday, Brown’s campaign responded, reiterating that the party had an obligation to provide them with the full details of the matter, and said they only learned those through the media.
“Once Ms. Jodoin provided information, it was the obligation of the Conservative Party to conduct themselves fairly and transparently,” read a statement circulated by campaign spokesman Chisholm Pothier.
It said what typically happens over the course of a campaign, where thousands of people are involved, is that issues arise that are directed to the campaign in question to fix.
“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen in this case because of course that was not the goal. The goal was to disqualify Patrick Brown from the leadership race and narrow the field.”
Brown himself has accused the party’s top officials of pushing him out of the race as a way to advantage his main rival, longtime Ottawa-area MP Pierre Poilievre.
Poilievre’s campaign had said the allegation did not come from them.
The allegation that led to Brown’s ousting was presented to them last week and was the subject of letter exchanges between it and the party.
Pothier posted a section from a letter he said the campaign sent to the party’s election organizing committee last week in response to concerns it had. He said it identifies the situation involving Jodoin.
The letter says it was Jodoin who approached Brown asking for work on his campaign. It says there was none at the time and Brown referred her to a friend of his, who was also a supporter.
The campaign said it was Brown’s understanding that Jodoin was volunteering for him outside of the work she was doing for his friend.
The campaign said if that hadn’t been the case, it was prepared to reimburse the amount, which it understood to be less than $10,000. The campaign said it wasn’t aware of similar instances.
Canada’s elections commissioner confirmed Thursday it was reviewing information about the allegation made against Brown, but a spokesperson, citing privacy, wouldn’t divulge the nature or details of what it received.
According to sources with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the allegation against Brown included documents and text messages.
Dimitri Soudas, who was once a communications director for former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, said in a statement that Jodoin has always put the Conservative cause above herself “and is clearly doing so this time.”
Liberal MP Adam van Koeverden also sent a letter to the elections commissioner requesting an investigation into the party, saying it could have financially benefited from Brown’s supposed violations.
Since his removal, Brown has hired high-profile lawyer Marie Henein as his legal counsel, who requested the party and those involved in deciding to remove him from the campaign prepare for anticipated legal action.
He is also seeking to appeal his ousting, even though party rules don’t appear to allow an appeal process.
The ousting of Brown occurred during the same week as when some Conservative party members began receiving their ballots in the mail.
They are due back by Sept. 6. The new leader will be named Sept.10.
torontosun.com
Debra Jodoin says in a statement released through her lawyer that she briefly worked as a regional organizer for his campaign
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Stephanie Taylor
Publishing date:Jul 08, 2022 • 11 hours ago • 4 minute read • 126 Comments
OTTAWA — A longtime Conservative organizer says Patrick Brown was personally involved in an arrangement that saw her paid by a third-party company for work she did on his leadership campaign.
Debra Jodoin, through her lawyer, released a statement Thursday evening after the party spent the past two days dealing with the fallout from Brown’s disqualification from the race.
The chairman of the party’s leadership election organizing committee said Tuesday its members voted 11 to six to disqualify him from the campaign due to “serious allegations of wrongdoing.”
Brown has maintained he was not provided with details by the party about the accusation against him. He said what the committee was presented with was an anonymous allegation that someone working on his campaign was being paid by a corporation.
While the party hasn’t released details of the allegation, it has said it appeared to contravene financing rules under the Canada Elections Act and came from within Brown’s own campaign.
On Thursday, Jodoin, who describes herself as an experienced organizer who has been involved with the party and its predecessor for more than 20 years, revealed herself to be the whistleblower.
Jodoin said in April 2022, the month after Brown announced he would enter the contest to replace former Tory leader Erin O’Toole, she joined the campaign “at his request” to assist as a regional organizer.
“Mr. Brown told me that it was permissible for me to be employed by a company as a consultant, and then for that company to have me volunteer with the campaign,” she said.
“He connected me by text message with a third-party for that purpose. I trusted him, but as time went on I became increasingly concerned with the arrangement and suspected it was not OK.”
The statement said in June, she asked Brown that the campaign pick up her expenses, saying that he expressed surprise and communicated he was “on it.”
“A corporation paid me and paid for my expenses, not the Brown campaign,” she said.
Her lawyer Jason Beitchman said Jodoin shared her concerns with the party and requested that her identity be kept confidential.
“On that basis, she felt it was her obligation to raise her concerns, and leave it to others to determine what further steps should be taken, if any,” said Beitchman.
“Ms. Jodoin expressly rejects any suggestion that she was coerced or pressured by others to come forward and did so of her own volition.”
After Jodoin released her statement Thursday, Brown’s campaign responded, reiterating that the party had an obligation to provide them with the full details of the matter, and said they only learned those through the media.
“Once Ms. Jodoin provided information, it was the obligation of the Conservative Party to conduct themselves fairly and transparently,” read a statement circulated by campaign spokesman Chisholm Pothier.
It said what typically happens over the course of a campaign, where thousands of people are involved, is that issues arise that are directed to the campaign in question to fix.
“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen in this case because of course that was not the goal. The goal was to disqualify Patrick Brown from the leadership race and narrow the field.”
Brown himself has accused the party’s top officials of pushing him out of the race as a way to advantage his main rival, longtime Ottawa-area MP Pierre Poilievre.
Poilievre’s campaign had said the allegation did not come from them.
The allegation that led to Brown’s ousting was presented to them last week and was the subject of letter exchanges between it and the party.
Pothier posted a section from a letter he said the campaign sent to the party’s election organizing committee last week in response to concerns it had. He said it identifies the situation involving Jodoin.
The letter says it was Jodoin who approached Brown asking for work on his campaign. It says there was none at the time and Brown referred her to a friend of his, who was also a supporter.
The campaign said it was Brown’s understanding that Jodoin was volunteering for him outside of the work she was doing for his friend.
The campaign said if that hadn’t been the case, it was prepared to reimburse the amount, which it understood to be less than $10,000. The campaign said it wasn’t aware of similar instances.
Canada’s elections commissioner confirmed Thursday it was reviewing information about the allegation made against Brown, but a spokesperson, citing privacy, wouldn’t divulge the nature or details of what it received.
According to sources with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the allegation against Brown included documents and text messages.
Dimitri Soudas, who was once a communications director for former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, said in a statement that Jodoin has always put the Conservative cause above herself “and is clearly doing so this time.”
Liberal MP Adam van Koeverden also sent a letter to the elections commissioner requesting an investigation into the party, saying it could have financially benefited from Brown’s supposed violations.
Since his removal, Brown has hired high-profile lawyer Marie Henein as his legal counsel, who requested the party and those involved in deciding to remove him from the campaign prepare for anticipated legal action.
He is also seeking to appeal his ousting, even though party rules don’t appear to allow an appeal process.
The ousting of Brown occurred during the same week as when some Conservative party members began receiving their ballots in the mail.
They are due back by Sept. 6. The new leader will be named Sept.10.
Whistleblower claims Patrick Brown arranged her payment by third-party company
A lawyer for a woman identifying herself as a former organizer on Patrick Brown’s campaign has come forward.
Well, I don't see "smarter than Jussie Smollett" as a ringing endorsement, but at least it's something.
Everyone likes a political drama, so it’s only natural that the story of Patrick Brown’s disqualification from the Conservative Party of Canada leadership race has generated several days of great excitement across the country, dominating national political news coverage.
But Canadians shouldn’t let it distract from the fact that whatever scandals are unfolding among potential future leaders, we’ve got much more meaningful problems happening with our current leader that are unfolding in real time and actually impacting our lives.
apple.news
Let’s definitely hold aspiring Prime Ministers to account. But let’s also spare some time to hold actual Prime Ministers to account as well.
Boris Johnson is stepping down as British prime minister because his own Conservative party — dozens of cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament — publicly revolted against his unethical conduct.
And now, Johnson is resigning.
Think about that for a moment.
Now think about the number of times Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has engaged in unethical conduct where Liberal cabinet ministers and MPs have never revolted.
apple.news
But Canadians shouldn’t let it distract from the fact that whatever scandals are unfolding among potential future leaders, we’ve got much more meaningful problems happening with our current leader that are unfolding in real time and actually impacting our lives.
FUREY: Opposition leadership race shouldn't distract from holding Trudeau to account — Toronto Sun
Everyone likes a political drama, so it’s only natural that the story of Patrick Brown’s disqualification from the Conservative Party of Canada leadership race has generated several days of great excitement across the country, dominating national political news coverage. But Canadians shouldn’t...
Boris Johnson is stepping down as British prime minister because his own Conservative party — dozens of cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament — publicly revolted against his unethical conduct.
And now, Johnson is resigning.
Think about that for a moment.
Now think about the number of times Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has engaged in unethical conduct where Liberal cabinet ministers and MPs have never revolted.
EDITORIAL: Liberal nobodies cower before Trudeau — Toronto Sun
Boris Johnson is stepping down as British prime minister because his own Conservative party — dozens of cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament — publicly revolted against his unethical conduct. It started with “Party Gate”, when Johnson broke his own government’s COVID-19 lockdown rules by...