Conservative Party of Canada Holds Annual Convention

[Gurn]

And Sloan is gone:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/derek-sloan-booted-from-conservative-caucus-after-mps-vote-in-emergency-meeting/ar-BB1cWatB?ocid=msedgntp

 

OTTAWA — Derek Sloan’s run as a Conservative MP has come to an end after 15 months of controversy and turmoil, including a failed leadership bid and two attempts to boot him out of caucus.

On Wednesday, after more than three hours of discussion at an emergency caucus meeting, Conservative MPs voted to eject Sloan from the party following news this week that Sloan had accepted a donation from white supremacist Paul Fromm. The vote was conducted by secret ballot and needed a simple majority to pass.

Sloan will still represent the Ontario riding of Hastings—Lennox and Addington as an independent MP.

Conservative leader Erin O’Toole sought Sloan’s ejection after the donation was reported by Press Progress, and further promised he wouldn’t allow Sloan to run for the party in the next election.

Sloan had strongly protested the move to eject him, arguing he was unaware of the donation — possibly because it was made under the name Frederick P. Fromm — and had asked for it to be refunded when he found out. Sloan also pointed out Fromm had managed to get himself a Conservative Party membership using the same name; the party moved to revoke that membership on Tuesday.

Privately, many Conservatives felt the donation was thin grounds on which to expel an MP, especially given the disguised name. However, Sloan had little support in caucus due to his repeated controversies and refusal to be a team player. One MP at the meeting told the National Post that most of the concern expressed ahead of the vote was around O’Toole’s handling of the matter, not support for Sloan personally.

• Rex Murphy: Once Sloan is sorted, can O'Toole please turn to the issues of the day?
• Erin O'Toole takes a calculated risk in attempting to eject Derek Sloan from caucus

After the vote, O’Toole released a statement saying it was about a pattern of behaviour.

“The Conservative Caucus voted to remove Derek Sloan not because of one specific event, but because of a pattern of destructive behaviour involving multiple incidents and disrespect towards the Conservative team for over a year,” O’Toole’s statement said. “These actions have been a consistent distraction from our efforts to grow the Party and focus on the work we need to do. Events of the past week were simply the last straw and led to our caucus making the decision it did today.”

O’Toole also said the vote was not about Sloan’s views as a social conservative.

“We have Members of Parliament of deep compassion and unmatched character, who like many Canadians, draw strength from their faith,” his statement said. “The Conservative Party is a big tent that is reflective of all Canadians. People of all backgrounds have a place in our Party.”

After his ejection, Sloan sent an email to supporters that slammed O’Toole for going on the “warpath” against him, but urged them to keep their party memberships and secure delegate spots at the upcoming Conservative policy convention.

“No matter how callous and misguided today’s actions by Erin and my colleagues were, we have much work to do in the next two months as we prepare for the policy convention in March,” Sloan’s email said.

“No matter how ugly — how undemocratic — the events of the last two days have been, always remember, the Party is not the personal property of Erin O’Toole; the CPC belongs to you — the grassroots of the Party,” the email said.

© Provided by National Post Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Nov. 19, 2020.

Sloan, a 36-year-old lawyer, entered the Conservative leadership race in January 2020 despite very little name recognition. He ran a hard-right, populist campaign backed primarily by the social conservative wing of the party’s base, and finished last place out of the four contenders on the final ballot, drawing slightly more than 15 per cent of the vote.

Midway through the race, Sloan prompted outrage after he questioned whether Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam, who was born in Hong Kong, was “working for Canada or working for China.” A move by some MPs to eject him from caucus failed, and Sloan insisted he never meant to question Tam’s loyalty. However, numerous Conservative MPs publicly denounced Sloan’s comments about Tam.

Sloan has caused many other headaches for the Conservatives, including over his anti-LGBTQ views, his fierce fight against the government’s conversion therapy bill, and his sponsorship of an anti-vaccine petition to Parliament.

The party has also recently been investigating him over his use of robocalls and emails to encourage supporters to attend the party’s policy convention, as first reported by the Toronto Star. The party had received complaints that Sloan’s activities may have violated CRTC rules prohibiting solicitation, and that he may have been illegitimately using the party’s membership database. Sloan denied any wrongdoing to the Star.

“The Party has demanded basic, yet pertinent information from Mr. Sloan for what appears to be a violation of the CRTC rules,” said a statement from party spokesperson Cory Hann. “He has declined to share it thus far, and ignored several requests. We take this seriously, and expect all caucus members and candidates to fully comply with all rules, regulations, and laws.”

O’Toole’s move to boot Sloan from caucus came after O’Toole released a long statement on the weekend that outlined his rejection of the “far right.”

“The Conservatives are a moderate, pragmatic, mainstream party – as old as Confederation – that sits squarely in the centre of Canadian politics,” O’Toole’s statement said. “There is no place for the far right in our Party.”

O’Toole had also said Sloan’s acceptance of Fromm’s donation “is far worse than a gross error of judgment or failure of due diligence,” despite the fact Fromm had also been given a party membership.

“Racism is a disease of the soul, repugnant to our core values,” O’Toole said about the donation. “It has no place in our country. It has no place in the Conservative Party of Canada. I won’t tolerate it.”

• Email: bplatt@postmedia.com | Twitter: btaplatt

 

[Gurn]

10 minutes ago, gurn said:

Sloan had strongly protested the move to eject him, arguing he was unaware of the donation — possibly because it was made under the name Frederick P. Fromm — and had asked for it to be refunded when he found out. Sloan also pointed out Fromm had managed to get himself a Conservative Party membership using the same name; the party moved to revoke that membership on Tuesday.

So they boot Sloan out, even though they sold a party membership to this same, so-called Neo Nazi?

Who else is getting the boot? Can't stop at just Sloan now,  the director of Party Membership should also be gone.

 

goose/gander and all that.

Hypocrisy will not win votes.

 

 

[UnkNuk]

Not that it matters but why would anyone donate $131 to a political party?   It seems like an odd amount.

[UnkNuk]

3 minutes ago, gurn said:

So they boot Sloan out, even though they sold a party membership to this same, so-called Neo Nazi?

Who else is getting the boot? Can't stop at just Sloan now,  the director of Party Membership should also be gone.

 

goose/gander and all that.

Hypocrisy will not win votes.

 

 

If it was simply accepting the cheque that got him booted out, I would agree.

 

But, from the article, it sounds like this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

 

[BoKnows]

Isn't O'toole the PC leader?

[Gurn]

9 minutes ago, UnkNuk said:

If it was simply accepting the cheque that got him booted out, I would agree.

 

But, from the article, it sounds like this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

 

so other people maybe don't get turfed but suspensions should then been in order.

Sloan took money, and when he found out he tries to send it back.

The party let the neo-Nazi join them. Someone else has to pay a price, to restore party faith at the least.

 

[UnkNuk]

25 minutes ago, gurn said:

so other people maybe don't get turfed but suspensions should then been in order.

Sloan took money, and when he found out he tries to send it back.

The party let the neo-Nazi join them. Someone else has to pay a price, to restore party faith at the least.

 

Yes, O'Toole has created a problem for himself and the party by highlighting this particular issue.

 

If he wanted to remove Sloan because of Sloan's stand on various issues he should have said so.

[Boudrias]

On 1/20/2021 at 4:07 PM, UnkNuk said:

Yes, O'Toole has created a problem for himself and the party by highlighting this particular issue.

 

If he wanted to remove Sloan because of Sloan's stand on various issues he should have said so.

Sloan said he was given any opportunity to defend himself during the caucus vote. His being turfed will cause divisiveness but IMHO it is more about the top down undemocratic action. On this basis who is next? Many unhappy conservatives right now. 

[Gurn]

Anyone know if the Conservative party has rescinded the Neo-nazi's party membership yet?

[Dazzle]

This Sloan guy made some controversial comments about Dr. Tam earlier, and refused to apologize. Conservatives kept him around.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tam-sloan-china-caucus-apology-ontario-1.5550103

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Warhippy]

27 minutes ago, Dazzle said:

This Sloan guy made some controversial comments about Dr. Tam earlier, and refused to apologize. Conservatives kept him around.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tam-sloan-china-caucus-apology-ontario-1.5550103

 

 

 

 

 

 

He did.

 

There's actually back benchers right now coming out enquiring about statements made by and from other high ranking conservative brass and their affiliations asking where the accountability truly stops.

 

I hope that they actually start rooting out the reformers and getting back to a truly conservative central right party

[Mackcanuck]

Conservatives still refuse to acknowledge climate change. 

 

On Saturday, Conservative Party delegates voted by a margin of 54% to 46% to reject a policy that would add the statement "climate change is real" to the party's policy book, and recognize that "Canadian businesses classified as highly polluting need to take more responsibility." The vote came just hours after Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole told delegates that the party "cannot ignore the reality of climate change."

 

[Warhippy]

1 minute ago, Mackcanuck said:

Conservatives still refuse to acknowledge climate change. 

 

On Saturday, Conservative Party delegates voted by a margin of 54% to 46% to reject a policy that would add the statement "climate change is real" to the party's policy book, and recognize that "Canadian businesses classified as highly polluting need to take more responsibility." The vote came just hours after Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole told delegates that the party "cannot ignore the reality of climate change."

 

Shockingly they also voted in favour of continuing to be propped up by and support pro life groups and the current marriage dynamic they believe in.

[thedestroyerofworlds]

2 hours ago, Mackcanuck said:

Conservatives still refuse to acknowledge climate change. 

 

On Saturday, Conservative Party delegates voted by a margin of 54% to 46% to reject a policy that would add the statement "climate change is real" to the party's policy book, and recognize that "Canadian businesses classified as highly polluting need to take more responsibility." The vote came just hours after Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole told delegates that the party "cannot ignore the reality of climate change."

 

 

2 hours ago, Warhippy said:

Shockingly they also voted in favour of continuing to be propped up by and support pro life groups and the current marriage dynamic they believe in.

These are reasons why I will not put my X next to a CONservative candidate.  

[Warhippy]

38 minutes ago, thedestroyerofworlds said:

 

These are reasons why I will not put my X next to a CONservative candidate.  

Until they turf the social garbage outright I can never consider them viable

[UnkNuk]

58 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

Until they turf the social garbage outright I can never consider them viable

Thing is, if they do turf out the "social garbage" they'll lose the support of at least of minority of current Conservative voters.

 

I guess the political question then would be:  would they gain more supporters like you who are turned off by their current social policies than they would lose?

[Boudrias]

2 minutes ago, UnkNuk said:

Thing is, if they do turf out the "social garbage" they'll lose the support of at least of minority of current Conservative voters.

 

I guess the political question then would be:  would they gain more supporters like you who are turned off by their current social policies than they would lose?

How about they have forums at the riding association level so that members can actually discuss such issues. My impression is that all the parties are top down structures. That doesn't cut it for me. The CPC started the top down stuff under Harper. If the grassroots embarrass leadership by exchanging ideas then where is democracy headed? 

It appears whoever has the best video wins the vote. In O'Tooles case he actually violated the CPC charter to suppress debate. 

[JM_]

21 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

How about they have forums at the riding association level so that members can actually discuss such issues. My impression is that all the parties are top down structures. That doesn't cut it for me. The CPC started the top down stuff under Harper. If the grassroots embarrass leadership by exchanging ideas then where is democracy headed? 

It appears whoever has the best video wins the vote. In O'Tooles case he actually violated the CPC charter to suppress debate. 

interesting, I feel like a lot of things are kicked around at the conventions. Much of it never makes it to official party policy but theres usually stuff that makes the news about some weird idea or another that all parties are kicking around. 

 

the CPC and Lib's are very top down tho in the end. Until the CPC distances itself from Harper and his circle they won't get rid of the social side. To me, Rona Ambrose was by far the best person they could have put forward and she'd be moping the floor with Trudeau imo (and thats coming from a Liberal). But the Harper machine didn't want her.

 

O'Toole is at least saying things as they are, not sure he's the guy that can make any meaningful changes in the CPC tho. 

[Gurn]

36 million people in Canada, and these are the people that get chosen to rep for us.

[JM_]

14 minutes ago, gurn said:

36 million people in Canada, and these are the people that get chosen to rep for us.

but there are good ones too: Freeland, Micheal Chong, Charlie Angus are people that stand out to me as credible.