The Conservative Party of Canada has a rule, recently ratified by its national council I’m told, which, to some, seems an odd one: Every riding association in the country must hold a nomination meeting prior to the next election — even the riding associations where there is a sitting Conservative MP.
Some groups with a conservative social policy agenda think this rule is terrific because they believe it presents them with a chance to get rid of Conservative MPs who would vote in the House of Commons for the status quo when it comes to same-sex marriage.
Garth Turner, (left)the Conservative MP for the riding of Halton west of Toronto, is one of those MPs who has been “targeted” and Turner put out a press release today on the subject. [Can’t find the link to the release but here’s an item from Garth’s blog which pretty much sets out his thinking on the matter.]
“The rules certainly favour any group who can sign up instant members and then stack a meeting,” Turner says in the release. “And while that is democracy in action, and I respect it, this also means a special interest candidate can emerge whose views might be completely at odds with the majority of people who live in this riding.
Turner’s nomination meeting is set for Sept. 11 but the deadline for new members join the riding association — who will be eligible to vote on Sept. 11 — is this Sunday.
Gerald Keddy (left), the Conservative MP for the Nova Scotia riding of South Shore-St. Margaret’s also voted in favour of same-sex marriage and earned the enmity of individuals like Charles McVety who warned Keddy that he would try to mobilize his supporters to oust Keddy at a nomination meeting. Keddy’s riding association, playing by the rules, called their nomination meeting immediately. As a result, no rival candidate to Keddy could be found in time and, when the deadline passed last Sunday at midnight for rivals to declare themselves, Keddy found himself acclaimed to be the Conservative candidate for South Shore-St. Margarets in the next federal election.
James Moore, the MP for the B.C. riding of Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam is another Conservative who voted in favour of same-sex marriage and may find some interlopers in his riding association looking for a new standard-bearer.