Setting the date
PCs to select new leader Feb. 9 in a convention where the party will allow online voting for the first time
The Progressive Conservative Party of P.E.I. will pick its new leader on Feb. 9.
The party will be holding a leadership convention at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown. Although no candidates have officially declared their intention to run, a party
spokesman said he expects multiple candidates to come forward to seek the leadership.
The party’s leadership contest was put in motion after PC Leader James Aylward announced on Sept. 17 that he would be stepping down Under Aylward’s leadership, the PCs had seen dropping numbers in public opinion polls over the last year.
Michael Drake, a spokesman for the party’s convention committee, said this will be the first time the party will allow online voting within a leadership contest.
“They’ll be able to cast their ballot by telephone or via the internet or attend the convention and cast their ballot in the traditional way,” Drake said.
Electronic voters will be assigned a secure PIN number.
The party will also be establishing a candidate evaluation committee to vet leadership candidates.
Candidates will be required to be a party member in good standing, pay a candidate fee of $7,500 and obtain the nomination signatures of 100 current party members.
“The main focus is to ensure there are no surprises in relation to the candidate in terms of a potential criminal background,
financial difficulties, personal conduct, particularly in relation to sexual assault and sexual misconduct,” Drake said.
Drake said the provincial PC party has recently updated its code of conduct in relation to the possibility of sexual assault allegations against potential candidates.
Both the Liberal and Green parties stated in the spring they were working on similar policies.
The NDP has established a sexual harassment policy that lays a guideline for impartial investigations of such allegations.