UPDATE: April 22, 2007 - Don Martin comments on Rob Anders in the Calgary Herald.
Rob Anders has to be re-nominated in Calgary West if he want to run in the next election. This time the nomination has to be for real! The Appeal Court upheld the original Queens Bench judgment that overturned Anders “unanimous nomination” for the Cons (no pun in ended) in Calgary West.
Anders lost – democracy rules.
Certain "party persons" who were found not to be acting appropriately are now resigning from their Calgary West CPC constituency posts. The whole messy business has to be done over and done fairly this time. The CPC better hope for its own integrity that Anders loses this nomination - but in a fair fight this time.
It is now proven that the Conservative Party of Canada, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, can’t even run a fair and open simple single constituency nomination – even amongst their own party membership. This is nothing short of a wanton disrespect for democracy given the facts surrounding the Anders' so-called nomination.
The utter hubris of the argument Anders offered during the appeal is absolutely breath taking. Media reports say:
"...a lawyer for Anders argued that the MP would suffer irreparable harm if he had to fight a new nomination race in the wake of his disputed acclamation last summer. "He cannot fairly and effectively fight a new nomination battle while performing his duties as a sitting MP in a minority government.,"
The powers that were in Calgary West seemed to think rules are for little people and not the powerful people. How far does this reprehensible attitude prevail in the rest of the Conservative Party of Canada.
Why, with this now proven deplorable behaviour and this insufficient set of attitudes and values, would we risk entrusting these kinds of politicians with our consent to govern us. How can we expect them to respect and protect the rights and privileges of all Canadian citizens when they do not even do it for their own party faithful?
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Little bit of an over-dramatization here. Please, let us talk about democracy for a moment. Was it democratic for the EDA to appoint MHF in Toronto without allowing any other individuals to be nominated?
ReplyDeleteDid the EDA follow their own rules and constitution in appointing MHF? If so, I have no quarrel as to it being democratic.
ReplyDeleteRemember eric - Political Parties are private clubs with enormouse public governance powers and policy influence. Not a good mix and it needs to be changed. It is a big part of the democratic deficit in Canada today.
Leaders need some discretionary power, sometimes to apppoint a candidate, sometime to appoint a Senator so they can be appointed to Cabinet and without the risky or messy diversion of an election,(I am trying not to "over-dramatize" here). And sometimes leaders need to even refuse to sign a candidate's nomination papers...for cause or pure personal judegment.
What we need to revisit in all of this is how it all works in an open, transparent citizens based - not PMO based - democracy.
"He cannot fairly and effectively fight a new nomination battle while performing his duties as a sitting MP in a minority government.,"
ReplyDelete- uhm...so we're talking about Rob Anders, right? Yep he's such a busy mover and shaker on the hill, keeping the nelson mandela threat at bay. Oh my sides... what a good laugh. Its so good, this cpoc comedy writes itself.
AMERICA'S NOW DOING EVERYTHING THE COMMUNISTS DID TO THEIR
ReplyDeletePEOPLE. LOOKS LIKE THE CONSERVATIVES LOST AFTER ALL:
dinoberry.googlepages.com/home
I live in Calgary West, and look forward to a "new" nomination meeting. My only hope is that after all of this, someone reasonable steps up to the plate to contest the nomination away from Anders.
ReplyDeleteAs I see it, in Calgary West, the election is the nomination meeting. That is, whoever takes the Conservative nomination wins the next election. This opinion has been borne out through recent elections. Many in the riding don't like Anders, but they are not going to vote Liberal, and they are for certain not voting NDP. Green has a chance that is statistically greater than zero, but not that much.
My thinking is that if Anders somehow takes the nomination - or stays in by default in the event an election was called right away - people may look to the young fellow running as an Independent. I know I might, and I have always voted Conservative (& PC before that).
Anon @ 8:13 - go find yourself a candidate and draft them or consider becoming one yourself.
ReplyDeleteRemember in a democracy we always get the kind of government (and candidates) we deserve, especially if we fail, refuse or neglect to show up and participate.
ken,
ReplyDeleteI have entertained the thought. But I have a young family, and the prospect of being away from them for 4 1/2 days a week for about half the year is not appealing to me.
If only I were younger... or older. ;-)