CPC Leadership Discussion 2020-21

[The Bread Guy]

Latest name into the ring ...

Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu is running for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, CBC News has learned.

"I'm ready to lead and I can bring the party together. I can bring a winning strategy. And that's what we need," Gladu told CBC News in an exclusive interview.

She's the first caucus member — and the only woman so far — to declare her intention to run.

"We need somebody that's going to bring a better balance of fiscal responsibility and social compassion," she said. "I'm looking at all the people running and it's all the same-old, same-old."

Gladu said she'll be able to come up with the $300,000 entry fee and collect the 3,000 signatures from party members required to put her on the ballot.

"I have the money, I have the backing, I have a campaign manager," she said. "I have folks to do communications, policy and strategy. I've got a travel coordinator. I've got a chair in every province of the country. So we're ready to go." ...

More at link & at her site's bio here.

 

[ballz]

Tomorrow is the last day to enter and this is a seriously uninspiring cast....

 

[Cloud Cover]

Yep. Duds galore.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Maybe they should drop the $300,000 entry fee.

 

[dapaterson]

The fee is intended (in part) to ensure that the party leader is able to fundraise, a necessary part of the job description (like it or not).

 

[Cloud Cover]

If they don't get some decent leadership candidates on the slate, the national party won't be getting any funds from a lot of people.

 

[ballz]

The fee is intended (in part) to ensure that the party leader is able to fundraise, a necessary part of the job description (like it or not).

The CPC is a fundraising machine, they could even out-fundraise with Andrew Scheer as leader. It's more to do with not having another race with 13 or 14 candidates and therefore everyone gets at best 20 seconds of air time. The high bar for entry means fewer candidates and *should* mean only "bigger names" since you would have be a pretty well-supposed and well-networked person, either through being a party heavyweight or celebrity-style aka Kevin O'Leery, to raise $300k in such a short amount of time. One of the reasons they had so many last time was because there were a bunch of nobodies who were using the race as a way to boost their own brand, despite having zero chance at winning.

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . . you would have be a pretty well-supposed and well-networked person, either through being a party heavyweight or celebrity-style aka Kevin O'Leery, to raise $300k in such a short amount of time.

If "Mr. Wonderful" would have no problem "legally" raising such an amount why is there still an open donation page for him on the Conservative Party donation site over two and a half years after dropping out of the CPC leadership race.

https://donate.conservative.ca/donate-kevinoleary/

 

[Halifax Tar]

People believing Pete is gonna run...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/nationalpost.com/news/politics/peter-mackay-is-a-100-per-cent-in-for-the-conservative-leadership-race-say-friends/amp

Where is Rona ?  Please come back and lead!

 

[Brad Sallows]

Not many people think of it this way, but the next leader of the CPC is the person most likely to be the next PM of Canada after JT.  Now is the time to strike for those serious about that goal.

 

[Navy_Pete]

I can see Ambrose, MacKay or maybe O'Toole being possible options that could actually get the support of the country. Haven't heard of him before, but Mr. Bulotte's brief platform wasn't too bad, so who knows. Pollievre is a love him/hate him kind of guy, but his persona as a Parliamentary attack dog sort of gives him a minion role, not a leader position. It may play well for scoring cheap points for the party, but makes him intensely unlikable at times, and would turn away all kinds of swing voters.

I think though that unless they put forward a socially liberal candidate that is a small c conservative they will continue to be the runner up, and they have a huge mountain to climb with the wreck that the Ontario PCs are making. They need someone that can give them seats outside of Alberta, so MacKay or Ambrose might be the best bets for that, and may even make inroads in some areas of QC.

If nothing else, they need someone that is an effective opposition in the short term; Scheer was kneecapped by the election results and party backlash, and is hard to take seriously when his own party wants him gone.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Given Jean Charest's comprador leanings (and a former Clerk of the Privy Council!), what are his odds, even of running?

Charest advising Huawei in Meng Wanzhou case and on 5G networks

Former Quebec premier Jean Charest, who is contemplating a run for the Conservative Party leadership, has been acting as a consultant to Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. in the Meng Wanzhou extradition case and the tech giant’s efforts to participate in Canada’s 5G wireless networks, a source says.

Mr. Charest is part of a team at the law firm of McCarthy Tétrault, including former privy council clerk Wayne Wouters, that Huawei retained in the summer to offer strategic advice.

A source said Mr. Charest and Mr. Wouters are providing strategic advice to Huawei. This includes intelligence and policy advice on understanding the extradition process facing Ms. Meng, the chief financial officer and daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei.

They are also advising Huawei as it seeks approval to sell equipment for the construction of Canada’s 5G networks. The federal government is conducting a cybersecurity review to determine whether Canada should bar the Chinese high-tech firm from participating in the next generation of wireless technology, as the United States and Australia have [emphasis added]. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the source because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

A request to Mr. Charest for comment was referred to McCarthy Tétrault’s communications department.

“McCarthy Tétrault’s policy is never to comment on client matters or comment on whether we acted for an organization or not,” senior communications manager Alley Adams said in a statement.

Huawei said it would not discuss any law firms it engages.

“As a multinational with operations in 170 countries, we retain law firms and outside experts for advice. We don’t discuss individual law firms or advisers, I’m not sure of any company that does,” Huawei vice-president for corporate affairs Alykhan Velshi said in a statement.

Mr. Charest’s consulting duties for Huawei appear to put him at odds with the current policies of the Conservative Party, which has urged the Trudeau government to ban Huawei from selling its 5G gear to Canadian telecoms as other members of the Fives Eyes intelligence partnership have done. The United States and Australia have blocked Huawei from 5G networks, and New Zealand rejected one proposal to build a 5G network with Huawei gear. Britain and Canada have yet to decide.

Mr. Charest has publicly criticized the Trump administration over its request for the extradition of Ms. Meng on charges of fraud relating to violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Story continues below advertisement

On a business and trade panel hosted by the Empire Club in Toronto on Nov. 5, Mr. Charest said it is important for Canada to seek closer ties with the fast-rising China.

“Our policy toward China has been hijacked by Donald Trump,” Mr. Charest said. “We should not be kowtowing to another government with regard to our relationship with China.”

Mr. Charest added that Canada’s global image suffered when it arrested Ms. Meng, especially after President Donald Trump announced in late 2018 that he was open to using the case as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations with China.

“For us to be involved in an extradition case where Donald Trump tweets … days later: I am ready to drop the charges if I get a trade deal with China. You know, in the rest of the world, it doesn’t make Canada look very good,” Mr. Charest said. “That’s not the place where we want to be.”

The former premier acknowledged during his remarks that “he has clients in China.”

Mr. Charest was joined on the panel by former Conservative cabinet minister Peter MacKay, who is reported to also be considering a bid for the Conservative leadership.

Mr. MacKay responded to Mr. Charest’s criticism of the United States by saying: “I’m picking a democracy every time when it comes to how we align ourselves, especially when our interests converge in our own backyard.”

Ms. Meng was arrested in December, 2018, at Vancouver International Airport on a U.S. extradition request. Her hearing begins later this month. U.S. authorities accuse Ms. Meng and other Huawei executives of lying to banks so that they would clear transactions with Iran through the United States despite U.S. sanctions.

China arrested Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor on allegations of national security offences only days after Ms. Meng was detained. Ms. Meng is free on bail and living in one of her two Vancouver homes while the Canadians are locked in prison cells with the lights on 24 hours a day.

In late December, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Mr. Trump not to sign any final trade agreement with China until Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor are released.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-charest-advising-huawei-in-meng-wanzhou-case-and-on-5g-networks/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[ballz]

If "Mr. Wonderful" would have no problem "legally" raising such an amount why is there still an open donation page for him on the Conservative Party donation site over two and a half years after dropping out of the CPC leadership race.

https://donate.conservative.ca/donate-kevinoleary/

That's an entirely different situation. He already raised way more than $300,000. The problem for him is, you can only put so much personal spending towards your campaign, the rest has to be fundraised. While this is not a "problem" (I agree with those rules), he spent "x" money, much of which was determined was campaign spending, and so now he has to fundraise it... he dropped out of the race.... trying to fundraise for yourself after you've dropped out is quite difficult for obvious reasons.

 

[Cloud Cover]

One out already: https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/bryan-brulotte-no-longer-running-for-conservative-leadership-citing-party-s-rules-1.4766345

 

[Halifax Tar]

I really hope this isnt true...

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/top-candidate-rona-ambrose-will-not-run-for-conservative-leadership-race-reports?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1MycJoGaUvDJxuQ5GNmOmRYbPvPyA8nBSXN6tway_tzymEZdj212JrYX0#Echobox=1579101653

Rona Ambrose will reportedly not run for the Conservative Party’s leadership race, sources have told La Presse.

Conservatives and potential candidates have kept a close watch on the former interim leader of the party — dubbing it “Rona Watch” — waiting for her to decide whether to contest the party leadership before they made a decision.

However, the La Presse report indicates that Ambrose has made no calls to form an organization, amid questions the past few weeks about her potential candidacy. “She will not be a candidate. She should confirm her intentions in the coming days,” a conservative source told the Quebec news outlet.

“Caucus is largely still waiting for Rona,” said one person in December, working on a rival leadership bid. A one Conservative MP said there is a “generalized yearning” for Ambrose‘s time in charge due to her skilful caucus management and almost conflict-free tenure of a year and a half.

 

[Remius]

I honestly think Polievre threw his name in the ring because he already knew she wouldn't run.  But them's the breaks.

Meanwhile the worst kept secret is out.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/peter-mackay-expected-to-announce-conservative-leadership-bid-1.4768544

 

[The Bread Guy]

... the worst kept secret is out.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/peter-mackay-expected-to-announce-conservative-leadership-bid-1.4768544

Confirmed via the Twitter ...

 

[The Bread Guy]

More tea leaves to read? - shared in accordance with  the Fair Dealing provisions of Canada's Copyright Act.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper has resigned from the board of the Conservative Party of Canada Fund, the fundraising arm of the national party, just as the party's leadership race begins in earnest.

A spokesperson for the party confirmed Harper has stepped back from the position, one he assumed after his party's 2015 electoral defeat. Maclean's magazine was first to report the development Wednesday.

"The fund thanks former prime minister Harper for his tireless work on the board, and wishes him well. His contributions, support and wise counsel to the board over the past many years has been appreciated," said Cory Hann, a spokesperson for the party.

A source close to Harper declined to comment Wednesday.

The board, composed of other senior Conservative operatives such as former Sen. Irving Gerstein (a self-described "proud party bagman") and Ontario Sen. Linda Frum, helps raise funds and sets the budget for the party and its leader.

The fund has been a source of controversy in recent weeks.

A source close to the board told CBC News in December that board members were blindsided by a report that party funds had been used to send the children of outgoing Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer to private school.

The fund was in the process of looking into the matter when Scheer abruptly quit his post as permanent leader. The fund's decision to probe the spending and Scheer's resignation were "not viewed as coincidental," the source said.

Dustin Van Vugt left his job as executive director of the party during the fracas over who knew what about the spending. Van Vugt, who brokered the tuition deal with Scheer, has since been replaced by Jamie Girard.

The news of Harper's resignation comes on the day former senior Conservative cabinet minister Peter MacKay announced he'd join the race to replace Scheer as leader. It is not yet known if Harper is prepared to endorse one of the candidates vying for the top job.

 

[Brad Sallows]

If Harper endorses anyone, it would be a fitting gesture to endorse Mackay.

 

[daftandbarmy]

If Harper endorses anyone, it would be a fitting gesture to endorse Mackay.

Or Jody Wilson-Raybould ...

.... remember, you heard this rumour here first