ACCLAMATION FOLLOWED PROCESS

This letter is in response to the article written by Wayne Carver (Acclamation a dangerous precedent, Feb.

8) in which Mr. Carver claims that Mr. Doug Currie was acclaimed by Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole without the input of the people of the province.

The Conservative Party of Canada, the CPC, has explicit and detailed rules and procedures for candidate nominations.

Each of the 338 federal ridings in the country has a board of directors elected by the membership at their annual general meeting. When a federal election nears or is expected, the board appoints a candidate nominating committee, the CNC, whose duties and responsibilities are clearly outlined, and include searching out potential candidates. Each of the members of the committee must sign a written affirmation of neutrality in order to serve on this committee.

The Conservative members responsible for the board in the Charlottetown riding appointed their CNC of six members on Oct.13, 2020. The co-chairs were Dennis Jameson and Sydney Gallant. The CNC followed the process as outlined and spoke to and/or met with some 20 prospective candidates over a two-month period.

On Dec. 8, the CNC reported to the board they were satisfied that they had completed their search and to the best of their knowledge, only one candidate, Doug Currie, had proceeded to file a candidate application. The board then requested to the CPC that the Charlottetown riding nomination be closed. This was done on Jan. 7, 2021 giving any other potential candidate an additional two-week period to submit an application before the close of nominations on Jan. 21, 2021.

The Rules and Procedures for Candidate Nominations for the Conservative Party, section 9 b states: If, following the close of nominations there is only one nomination contestant, that person shall be acclaimed.

Before that could occur however, the executive director of the Conservative Party of Canada, Ms. Janet Fryday Dorey had to confirm that the Charlottetown board had followed all the rules as set out in the Rules and Procedures. This was confirmed and thus Mr. Doug Currie was acclaimed per the rules.

So I would point out to Mr. Carver that the acclamation of Mr. Doug Currie follows the democratic process carried out by the duly elected board of the Charlottetown Riding and not by Mr. O’Toole as Mr. Carver wrongly suggests. These rules are posted publicly on the Conservative party website, and had Mr. Carver endeavoured to look at the process by which the Conservative Party of Canada nominates its candidates, he would have realized the extensive process undertaken to nominate candidates.

Sylvia Poirier,

National councillor, P.E.I., Conservative Party of Canada