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2mo ago

Conservative Party Forms Subcommittee to Review Nomination Rules

It comes after de Jong accused the party’s Ottawa leadership of centralized power that blocked his run despite unanimous local endorsement.

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Then-B. C. Finance Minister Michael de Jong speaks to media after being sworn-in following a ceremony at Legislature in Victoria, B.C., on Thursday, June 8, 2017.

Overview

  • Michael de Jong, unanimously endorsed by his local Abbotsford–South Langley association and backed by former MP Ed Fast, was barred by Ottawa leadership, prompting him to run as an independent and lose to Conservative MP Sukhman Gill.
  • After the April election, the Conservative Party’s national council established an ad hoc subcommittee to scrutinize and update its candidate nomination rules.
  • Michael de Jong argues the party’s over-centralized selection process reflects a broader trend in Canadian politics that sidelines grassroots candidates.
  • Party leader Pierre Poilievre has stayed silent on nomination disputes and remains focused on sustaining the voter coalition that secured 143 seats.
  • Political scientist Alex Marland warns that unregulated party nomination procedures give centralized power to leadership and calls for stronger oversight.