Down to the crunch
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP BATTLE
OTTAWA • Less than a month from now, Canadian Conservatives will pick their federal leader to take them to battle with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019. But voting can happen anytime now that ballots have been mailed out.
The victor will be entitled to live at Stornoway, the residence for the leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. They’ ll inherit a big tent party with fresh memories of steady centralized control under Stephen Harper, and even fresher memories of masterful House of Commons performances from interim leader Rona Ambrose.
For more than a year, this leadership race has been defined as much by the starkly different visions offered by candidates as by their mutual disdain for Trudeau and his merry band of Liberals.
And then came a pivotal moment: reality television personality Kevin O’Leary dropped a bombshell by dropping out of the race and throwing his “full support” behind libertarian Quebec candidate Maxime Bernier.
O’Leary voters might not follow suit. His supporters left dozens of seats empty at the party’s final official debate recently. They might turn out the vote. If they do, there’s no guarantee they’ll support Bernier.
Hoping to come up the middle and eclipse Bernier are moderate candidates like Andrew Scheer, who say they can appeal to a broader range of Conservatives. Former cabinet ministers Erin O’Toole and Lisa Raitt fall into this category, too.
There’s surgeon Kellie Leitch, with her polarizing talk of immigrant-screening. And red-Tory darling Michael Chong, who is poised to capture votes from those who’ve joined the party in recent months specifically to protest candidates such as Leitch ( if online campaigns are to be believed).
Others candidates, meanwhile, have come and gone. Remember Dan Lindsay or Tony Clement? So here’s a refresher on the cast of characters vying for the top Tory job ( in alphabetical order), and some key things to remember them by :
CHRIS ALEXANDER
Campaign highlight: Fluently bilingual, sophisticated about foreign affairs, backed by his experience as ambassador to Afghanistan. One of the higher- profile moments of his campaign was at an Alberta rally where Alexander seemed to condone a chant of “lock her up,” about Premier Rachel Notley, prompted by his speech. He said later he was “mortified” by the chant.
Oddball policy: Increase immigration to 400,000 people a year.
You may recall: An electiontime i nterview with the CBC in 2015, when he was smacked down by Power and Politics host Rosemary Barton. Pairs well with: Erin O’Toole, because of their f oreign policy chops.
MAXIME BERNIER
Campaign highlight: With a trade war brewing with the United States, Bernier points out he’s long advocated ending supply management, including dairy products, one of the policies irking Donald
Trump. It’s one of a variety of policies that Bernier says would end corporate welfare in Canada.
Oddball policy: Abolish the “maple syrup cartel,” part of a promise to eliminate all interprovincial trade barriers.
You may recall: Bernier resigned as foreign minister after forgetting sensitive documents at the apartment of a girlfriend with past ties to biker gangs. Pairs well with: His policies don’t align well with other candidates, but consider other Harper- era cabinet ministers, such as Lisa Raitt.
STEVEN BLANEY
Campaign highlight: Has stood out at debates. Sometimes, it’s because of props — he brought an empty nuclear rod to one as an example of clean energy; other times it’s because of his spirited attacks on Bernier.
Oddball policy: Completely dismantle First Nations reserves. Ban the niqab in the public service. You may recall: Blaney was the frontman for the Harper government’s removal of the long- form census and the controversial anti- terrorism law known as Bill C-51. Pairs well with: Kellie Leitch, because their views on immigration are similar. Definitely not Maxime Bernier.
MICHAEL CHONG
Campaign highlight: While all the other candidates oppose carbon pricing under any circumstance, Chong at least sticks to his guns on advocating for a revenue- neutral carbon tax.
Oddball policy: Make political party membership free.
You may recall: Chong, then-intergovernmental affairs minister, resigned f rom Harper’s first cabinet in 2006 in protest of a parliamentary motion that recognized Quebec as a nation within a nation.
Pairs well with: Lisa Raitt, because she’s the next-most-progressive candidate with parliamentary experience. Definitely not Kellie Leitch.
KELLIE LEITCH
Campaign highlight: Leitch’s idea to test immigrants for “Canadian values” may be polarizing, but it has found a foothold in Canadian society, with polls indicating support for the policy. On the other hand, an awkward eight-minute video on values screening was ridiculed online. Oddball policy: Legalize pepper spray for self defence. Dismantle the CBC.
You may recall: Leitch and fellow candidate Chris Alexander were the two who announced a tip line for “barbaric cultural practices” during the 2015 election campaign, a ridiculed policy said to have contributed to Harper’s downfall. Pai r s wel l wi t h : Steven Blaney, because they share hard- line views. Definitely not Michael Chong.
PIERRE LEMIEUX
Campaign highlight: The only candidate openly advocating for legal changes related to abortion, which he calls “life issues.” Specifically, he would legislate to make sex- selective abortion a crime.
Oddball policy: Institute term limits for Supreme Court justices. You may recall: While serving as an MP, The Canadian Press reported Lemieux’s hobby was competitive “cowboy action shooting.” His nom- de- gunslinging was “The Lawman.” Pairs well with: Brad Trost, because these two are the most socially conservative of the bunch.
DEEPAK OBHRAI
Campaign highlight: The longest- serving Conservative MP in the House of Commons, Obhrai’s sense of humour has won him fans, especially at debates. Even his campaign website — deepakage.com — is a good one. “The package”— get it?
Oddball policy: Recycle nuclear waste fuel with Fast Neutron Reactors.
You may recall: Obhrai, who immigrated to Canada from Tanzania, was first elected as a member of the Reform Party, then the Canadian Alliance. Pairs well with: Moderate MPs like Lisa Raitt, Andrew Scheer or Erin O’Toole, but definitely not Kellie Leitch; Obhrai is one of her most vocal opponents.
ERIN O’TOOLE
Campaign highlight: Though entering the race later than some of his peers, O’Toole has smartly saved up endorsements f or l ate announcements, overtaking Andrew Scheer in MP support, and focused on garnering second- and thirdchoice support. Oddball policy: Pursuing a Canada- Australia- New Zealand trade bloc. You may r ecall : O’ Toole served in the military for 12 years, experience that helped vault him to the veterans affairs ministry at the beginning of 2015, a department he inherited from beleaguered Harperite Julian Fantino. Pairs well with: Andrew Scheer or Lisa Raitt, fellow moderate MPs.
RICK PETERSON
Campaign highlight: Since O’Leary dropped out, now the only other candidate who’s never served in parliament. Has also taken on the “most bombastic” title. His fundraising game has proved weak — an April email to party members featured a pitch from his dog and a Liberal insult. Oddball policy: Completely eliminate corporate income tax. You may recall: Peterson unsuccessfully ran for B. C. Conservative Party leader in 2014. Pairs well with: Maxime Bernier, who is similarly focused on economic issues and advocates a corporate tax cut.
LISA RAITT
Campaign highlight: One of Raitt’s first big moves was to hold a press conference launching a website called stopkevinoleary. com, which also attacked Kellie Leitch. Has also been advocating Alzheimer’s awareness: her husband, Bruce Wood, was diagnosed with early onset of the disease a year ago.
Oddball poli cy: Activate Conservative grassroots and undertake the biggest “policy development process” in the party’s history.
You may recall: In 2009, when Raitt was natural resources minister, secret briefing documents were left at a CTV News studio. After a week, they reported what was inside, and Raitt’s director of communications resigned.
Pairs well with: Andrew Scheer or Erin O’ Toole, fellow moderate MPs.
ANDREW SAXTON
Campaign highlight: Launched a social media campaign claiming “boring gets the job done” — and released a “boring hall of fame” online, which included former prime ministers Harper and John Diefenbaker.
Oddball policy: Balanced budget by 2021. You may recall: Saxton was the MP for North Vancouver from 2008 until 2015, and was particularly active in Canada- Asia parliamentary groups. He was previously in real estate,
Pairs well with: Steady Harper-like candidates such as Andrew Scheer or Erin O’Toole.
ANDREW SCHEER
Campaign highlight: Has led caucus support for most of the campaign if you include Conservative senators. Has positioned himself as a big tent candidate who can appeal to every type of Conservative, and speaks decent French. A younger, less-scary Stephen Harper.
Oddball policy: Drop federal funding for universities that don’t protect free speech on campus. Add property rights to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
You may recall: Scheer served as the youngest-ever Speaker of the House of Commons, ascending to the post in 2011, at age 32. Was one of 13 people put on a retaliatory sanctions list by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014. Pairs well with: Erin O’Toole or Lisa Raitt.
BRAD TROST
Campaign highlight: Trost is pro- life, would repeal the Liberals’ trans- rights bill and, as his campaign manager described it i n one video, “not entirely comfortable with the whole gay thing.” One of the highestprofile moments in Trost’s campaign was fallout from a promise not to fund gay pride parades.
Oddball policy: Allow off-duty police officers to conceal and carry guns.
You may recall: Was publicly unhappy with his own government in 2011, because it was funding the International Planned Parenthood Federation. At a policy convention in spring 2016, he was one of the voices arguing for the party to retain a traditional definition of marriage as “the union of one man and one woman.”
Pairs well with: Pierre Lemieux, the other social- conservative candidate.
THE BALLOTS ARE OUT: WHAT NOW?
It’s crunch time. The Conservative Party leadership convention opens May 26 at the Toronto Congress Centre featuring speeches that evening from candidates still in the running. Voting and counting will happen the next day, with a new leader announced the evening of May 27.
Ballots should have arrived i n members’ mailboxes. Members can send in their votes anytime.
WHO CAN VOTE?
The Conservative Party confirmed 259,010 people will be eligible to vote in the leadership contest. About 150,000 of those people purchased $15 memberships this calendar year. Party members appear on lists of eligible voters for each electoral district, and ballots received by the party are cross- referenced against those lists.
Candidates can challenge the eligibility of members, in writing, up until May 7. “Frivolous” challenges are subject to fines. In March, t he party expelled 1, 351 members signed up with pre- paid credit cards, as allegations swirled around fraudulent sign-up plots.
Another 1,378 memberships were found to be “ineligible” in a more recent review of memberships. A party spokesman said prepaid credit cards weren’t the only reason for finding this latest batch invalid. Tipping the party off were a “variety of i ndicators,” i ncluding transaction logs, website access logs and purchase methods.
HOW DOES VOTING WORK?
Every party member who is in good standing receives a single ballot on which they rank their preferred candidates for Conservative Party leader.
Ballots come in the mail. Once they’re filled out, voters have two options: they can send the ballot back to the Conservative Party by mail or bring their ballot to a polling station. Mailed- in ballots are due by May 26 at 5 p.m.
Polling stations are available i n Edmonton, Winnipeg, Moncton, Montreal and eight Ontario locations on May 27, with various hours of operation. None are listed for Saskatchewan, British Columbia, northern territories or other Atlantic provinces. Local ridings are responsible for setting up polling places. Ballot boxes will also be available on the convention floor in Toronto.
HOW ARE VOTES COUNTED?
Each of Canada’s 338 electoral districts is worth 100 points, for a total of 33,800 points. Candidates get a points total for each riding based on their percentage of the vote. Spoiled ballots don’t count in that calculation. According to the party, less than a third of federal ridings have more than 1,000 party members.
The winner must receive a majority of points from across the country. If no one has a majority after the first count, the candidate with the fewest points nationally is dropped. Votes for that candidate are reallocated to the second choices marked on ballots.
The same process is repeated, if necessary, until one candidate has 16,901 or more of the 33,800 total points.
The party is in an unusual situation because one of the most recognizable names on the ballot, Kevin O’Leary, quit after forms were already printed and mailed off. If members put O’Leary first, their second choice won’t be counted until O’Leary naturally drops off the ballot. The leadership election organizing committee may review this process, a party spokesman said.
An independent auditor hired by the party verifies vote counts and point totals.
FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, THIS LEADERSHIP RACE HAS BEEN DEFINED AS MUCH BY THE STARKLY DIFFERENT VISIONS OFFERED BY CANDIDATES AS BY THEIR MUTUAL DISDAIN FOR TRUDEAU AND HIS MERRY BAND OF LIBERALS. AND THEN CAME A PIVOTAL MOMENT...