Warren — Musings —05.19.2011 06:34 AM
Would-be Progressive Conservative candidates are being flatly told to hit the road to make way for hand-picked favourites, the Star has learned.
The latest to get the hook is Ade Olumide, a candidate for the Tory nomination in Ottawa West—Nepean, who was eager to butt heads with Randall Denley, a long-time Ottawa Citizencolumnist personally anointed by Leader Tim Hudak.
“I was informed (Tuesday) night by the president of the Ontario PC Party in writing that I will not be allowed to contest the party nomination in Ottawa West Nepean,” said Olumide, founder of the Ottawa Taxpayer Advocacy Group, in an email Wednesday.
“To my volunteers, members and supporters I say a heart felt thank you; I recognize this news is very disappointing,” said Olumide.
The reign of terror, as one insider called it, comes as the party, which conceivably could form the next Ontario government, searches for candidates for 107 ridings.
Anointing candidates started out as isolated practice but has become common as the Conservatives vie for candidates with name-recognition.
Included in the stable of so-called high-profile candidates is CHCH TV’s Donna Skelly, who was another one to be anointed at the expense of a long-time Conservative party member in Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale.
Several riding association members there quit because of the party meddling.
More here.
I heard that Tim Hudak’s “Progressive” Conservative party vets all of its potential members who want to run as candidates. Did Ade Olumide not pass the vetting process because he might have been a drunken, pot-smokin’ womanizer who also hangs around with shady people like pot-filling horticulturalists and arborists? Hudak would definitely not want a candidate who may arbor terrorists in arboretums. I don’t know who Olumide is. However, I thank Mr. Hudak for keeping Ontarians safe from people who may associate with others possibly misusing fertilizer. Pot users may make their soils too acidic.
Hudak and his New Right Conservative Team (can’t say party because it would not be accurate) will have the full backing of Harper’s Ontario MPs and Cabinet Ministers (all 15 of them) in the fall election.
If the Hudak gang wins the election, Harper’s political monopoly will become a complete stranglehold over Ontario and it’s citizens. This juggernaut of ideologically driven New Right Conservative gov’ts will revolutionize the way Ontario is governed.
Harper will call the shots from the Langevin Block in Ottawa and Hudak will dismantle publicly funded health care, social services, and post-secondary education. And a Hudak gov. will promote more private primary and secondary education.
Need I go on?
No, please do go on! I can’t wait for all of it to happen – the joy of a conservative strangle(hold) on liberalism run amok in this jurisdiction.
Oh come on… I seem to remember Chretien “parachuting in” candidates to ridings that they did not even live in because he wanted to appear more “progressive” by running more women or something. Where was the outrage then? It is only bad when the other guy does it?
If conservatives have different ideals than mine, that’s fine. If they ran on those ideals and principles, and the electorate chooses them, that’s fine as well.
However, what I can not abide is conservatives sounding righteous and high minded and then acting differently. When they are called to account, their refrain is always the same “but the other guys did it too”
It is time Conservatives took reponsibility for their own actions.
Has anyone considered the fact that columnists and broadcasters aren’t always held in the highest regard by the voting public? Even Harper knew that if he wanted Duffy and Wallin in Parliament, he’d have to put them in the Senate.
You misspelled “Error” 🙂