Campaign criticism from potential candidate

Shawn Driscoll raises concerns on impartiality in process

Shawn Driscoll, who has filed an application to run for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party’s leadership, has sent a letter to party president Charles Blue this week raising his concerns with Dennis King’s leadership campaign.

Driscoll said concerns were raised about the impartiality of the process when Adam Ross took a leave of absence from his role as chief of staff in the PC caucus office to join the King campaign.

Driscoll said Ross was instrumental in setting up the rules for the leadership race and determining the timing of the vote. According to Driscoll, Ross was the chief administrator of the party’s NationBuilder software which contains party member information that he said would be, at best, a perceived conflict of interest or, at worst, an attempt to gain an unfair advantage.

Driscoll said the leadership process could not be tainted by “backroom dealing and actions that smack of an ‘Old Boys Club’ ”.

“When you talk to our grassroots, they’re always being told about the back room,” said Driscoll. “If we’re going to grow our party, we have to address that and by seeing someone who has been involved in the process…. Who is supposed to be impartial and now that person is going to run the candidate’s campaign, you have to ask questions.”

He said it puts other candidates at an unfair advantage.

“There’s going to be a lot of time, effort and cash put into this. Whatever the result is, I want there to be an even playing field.”

Attempts to reach Ross were not successful as of press time on Thursday.

When asked after his announcement for the leadership Wednesday night, King said he had no access to the member list.

“I wouldn’t have been calling people off any list. I’ve been doing some membership drives for new members in certain areas of the province,” said King.

When asked about the accusation of backroom involvement, King said while he had some support from some longstanding members of P.E.I.’s political arena he was encouraged by Islanders from “all walks of life, all across P.E.I.” to run.

“When I sat down with them I said, ‘this is what I’m going to advocate for’ and they said ‘great, sign me up,’” said King.

“I’m promising to do this a different way. That old style politics is not my style. I know Shawn, if Shawn has any questions he certainly has my phone number, he can call and ask them, but he chose to do it a different way and look, that’s part of the business, I understand.”