By Pepper Parr
December 8th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Three or four days after Jane McKenna was nominated by the Burlington Provincial Progressive Conservative association that Board met to review what had taken place.
The nominee, Jane McKenna did not attend which has many people wondering what it was that could have kept her away.
Her reported campaign manager Mike Wallace attended – but no Jane McKenna.
The conversation within the political association was rife with suspicion.
Information that has reached the Gazette, most of which is related to the appeal of the nomination, point to significant disarray within both the association and the people at the head office of the political party in Toronto.
The local association didn’t know that the party head office was going to descend on the Burlington nomination meeting and run the show. That is not an unusual step.
The party had apparently decided that they could gain some advantage by putting forward a positive looking team before the new fund raising rules came into place January 1st.
The local association had struck a candidate search committee and the Gazette has learned that there were four people who had expressed an interest in running.
Jane Michael has complained that she was interviewed a mere three days before the nomination meeting took place and she didn’t get a membership list until the day before the actual nomination.
When the vote took place at the nomination meeting there appeared to be many irregularities.
The most stunning piece of information is that no one has said how many ballots were cast – and no one knows where those ballots are.
The tradition in Ontario politics is for the loser of the nomination ask that the meeting declare that the selection of the candidate was unanimous and that the ballots be destroyed.
The small bit of video showing a reported former president of the association charging across the room and behaving in a very threatening manner to a senior – who stood his ground.
All the behavior points to a close to dysfunctional organization that had something in the order of $9000 + coming to them from the head office of the party that was forgiven by the local association on the understanding that Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown would appear in Burlington and give a speech.
Those behind the appeal just don’t like the way the nomination process went and they are asking that the results of the first election for a candidate be set aside and that a new nomination meeting be held.
The first step in this process if for a committee to determine if the request for a second nomination meeting has merit. A quick read o the document suggests there is certainly much merit – a close read of the document can only be described as an embarrassment for the local rising association and the political part as well.
Jane McKenna is reported to have won the nomination as the candidate for the Progressive Conservative in the next provincial election. That win is now mired in controversy with local Tory’s asking that a second election for the nomination be held.
The party constitution calls for a response to the request for a second vote has to be replied to in seven days – which means on the 15th of December a decision has to be rendered.
It is difficult to see anything that reflects positively for a political association that once held the seat provincially for more than fifty years. Burlington was as Tory Blue as you could get. Now it appears to look embarrassingly red.
The woman who lost to McKenna, Jane Michael is pleased to learn that there are member of the political party in Burlington who just don’t like the way the nomination meeting was handled and they want to see a second nomination meeting take place.
John Robarts – one of the best Premiers the province ever had would be “appalled ” over what took place in Burlington.
The appeal request was filed by Colin C.G. Pye. Membership Chair of the Burlington Progressive Conservative Riding Association. He is a lawyer by profession and relatively new to local politics but has been involved elsewhere in the province.
Asked what he thought the impact of this messy situation would be on the political party Pye replied that former Ontario Premier, the late John Robarts would think he said: “He would be appalled’.
Rene you are correct the Appeal was rejected You failed to report that that this was done without a proper hearing. Calling someone on a Saturday evening and doing most of the talking is not a hearing. If a proper hearing had been held I believe that the 42 issues would have to be acknowledged and could have been dealt with in a professional manner. McKenna is now working with a very divided Riding. If I had been elected, I would want a re-election in order to put the election irregularities to rest.
I have been informed that the appeal has been rejected. There will be no new nomination meeting. The ballot are the property of the PC party of Ontario and they do what they want with thin
To B. Wayne, Stephen White and Rene Papin,
Mr. Wayne, Yes, you were on the list I rec’d from someone who had a list of current PC members. That list had 200 members listed. Of that 200, @50 of those had moved or were deceased. I received the list of all PC members, including new memberships sold by myself and Ms. McKenna, at approx. 6:30 p.m. on Nov 25th. I was interviewed on Nov 22nd.
Mr. White, Toronto, PC Headquarters in Toronto took over “the whole thing”. Who is higher on the ladder?
Mr Papin, who made the Motion to destroy the ballots? The PC Party does what they want is the operative statement, in my belief.
Unbelievable!
There are enough irregularities to warrant that the nomination be declared null and void, and that a new nomination meeting be held. This time, officials from PC Headquarters in Toronto should supervise and manage the whole thing.
“Jane Michael has complained that she was interviewed a mere three days before the nomination meeting took place and she didn’t get a membership list until the day before the actual nomination.”
I don’t understand this statement as Jane was at my door a week before the vote looking for my support as a voting member.
Ms. Jane Michael was campaigning at the time you are discussing. She was a Potential Candidate until the night before the vote when Ms. Michael was finally vetted and given the membership list.