By Pepper Parr
August 20th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Is there something completely dysfunctional about the Progressive Conservatives in Burlington?
Jane Michael lost the nomination for the 2018 provincial election, appealed the decision – lost that as well. Sought the nomination for the 2019 federal election. That was reported to be messy as well.
We received a note from a Gazette reader who said:
“I would like to discuss how Jane Michael was acclaimed as the federal PC candidate for Burlington in the upcoming federal election 2019. Which occurred on August 14th; it’s on her Tweeter account.”
The Gazette was not aware that the federal Progressive Conservatives were holding a nomination meeting.
Our reader added that: “Ross Noble of Burlington put his name forward to enter the race. But was ignored.
“The PC nomination committee acclaimed Jane Michael without due process. The members are suppose (sic) to elect the candidate through a voting process but were never given the opportunity to do so. The nomination committee just acclaimed Jane Michael without members input or vote??
“Check out Jane Michael’s Tweeter account to confirm.
“She is going to the conservative parties election event in Halifax next week.”
“What happened to the Democratic process.”
“Happy to discuss further.”
The reader signed her name and provided a telephone number.
NOTE that she makes no mention about the information she sent us or anything about her identity being confidential.
We sent a note saying we would check out the information and get back to her.
The reader got back to us and said: “Please note if you decide to do anything re my email I want and need it to be private.
“You do not have the right to disclose my name anywhere.’
We have the right to identify a person unless they advise us from the start that the email and or conversation is confidential and off the record. The reader, who is a paralegal who works for a prominent law firm, should know that.
In our final note the Gazette said: “You did not put that condition at the front of your original email – I used the information to reach out and confirm what you said – now you want to hide who you are?
“Have the courage of your convictions or keep you thoughts to yourself.
The Progressive Conservatives have a history of nomination meetings that are “fuzzy”
Rene Papin could not get the provincial Progressive Conservative nomination in 2011. He has decided to run for the ward 1 city council seat. Here he talks with Jane McKenna who is the current Burlington MPP
Back in 2011 when the Progressive Conservatives were looking for a candidate to run provincially Rene Papin waited patiently to have his nomination papers accepted. They never were.
Brian Heagle also wanted to be the nominee – he wasn’t accepted.
The provincial Progressive Conservatives found Jane McKenna, fell in love with her and gave her the nomination in one of the shortest nomination meetings this reporter has ever seen. There was a member of the association nominating committee in the room mumbling something about the constitution but he wasn’t being listened to.
McKenna became the candidate and bless her soul she won the seat in what is known as the Hudak loss. Jane was a member of the Opposition.
The next time out McKenna faced a competitor for the nomination. Jane Michael decided she could do a better job than McKenna and entered the nomination race.
She lost to McKenna, by 41 votes; she was never told how many votes were cast and she didn’t have scrutineers in the room when the votes were counted.
Michael contested the nomination committee decision and lost that as well.
McKenna went on to face Eleanor McMahon who proved to be a stronger candidate. McKenna was out,
Eleanor McMahon, at the time the MPP for Burlington in conversation with a constituent. She was made a member of the Wynne government Cabinet.
McMahon was now the MPP for Burlington.
In the 2018 provincial election McKenna reversed the election result and beat Liberal Eleanor McMahon handily.
Michael wasn’t going to just sit on the side lines.
She decided to run for the federal nomination. Her nomination was accepted and she was off to the national meeting of federal progressive candidates and those nominated taking place this week In Halifax.
Michael will be up against Karina Gould, federal Minister of Democratic Institutions and very popular in Burlington. The bottom will have to fall out of the Justin Trudeau government for Michael to win. But that has been known to happen.
Whatever nobility there might be in politics; the idea of serving the public and gaining public office in an open public, transparent process seems to have lost its way in whatever world the Burlington Progressive Conservatives reside in.
Background links:
Heagle doesn’t get a phone call
Jane McKenna get nominated for the 2011 election
McKenna defeats Michael in messy nomination meeting for the 2018 race
McKenna seeks nomination to face McMahon a second time – she wins – messy.
McKenna defeats McMahon in the 2018 provincial election.
IS THE CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE PRO LIFE/ANTI CHOICE? IIF SO THATS WHY THEY BY PASSED THE RUDING ASSICIATION. Please find an answer to this question
Congratulations to Karina Gould. You have just won your re-election. Jane Michael, with all of her baggage, is the absolute worst candidate. Wonder why the conservative association in Ottawa bi-passed the Democratic process and acclaimed such a horrible candidate without giving the Burlington members the opportunity for a fair vote.