Conservatives to discuss nomination rules for incumbents, Leitch’s controversial immigrant ‘values’ test at national caucus retreat
After being shut out in Atlantic Canada in the last federal election, the Conservative caucus is meeting in Halifax this week to reach out to Atlantic Canadians, plot parliamentary strategy for the fall session, discuss nomination rules for incumbent MPs, and debate leadership candidate Kellie Leitch’s controversial idea of screening of immigrants for “anti-Canadian values.” The caucus retreat is taking […]
With papers submitted, Obhrai begins to form leadership campaign team
Veteran Alberta Conservative MP Deepak Obhrai officially submitted his paperwork last week to run as a candidate in the Conservative Party’s leadership race, and Hill Climbers has learned of a number of the individuals working to support Mr. Obhrai’s bid to become the federal party’s next leader in May 2017. Leadership candidates must fill out […]
‘We didn’t help matters,’ Clement says Conservatives failed to make ‘valid case’ for re-election last year
Conservative leadership candidate Tony Clement says he’s the person who can “overhaul” the federal party and fix the communications problems that contributed to it losing power to the Liberals in last year’s election. “We have to overhaul our party organization in a big way—better training, better candidate support, better communications, better media relations, better social […]
Identity politics is one way for Leitch to stand out
OTTAWA—In fairness to Kellie Leitch—no wait, come back—it would have been surprising if no candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada leadership had run on identity politics. Leitch, of course, is the physician and Conservative MP who has been vaulted from obscurity into a sort of pallid, sickly limelight for suggesting it would be a […]
Kellie Leitch should be embarrassed and ashamed
OTTAWA—Kellie Leitch apparently wanted to get some attention in what so far has been a catatonic Conservative leadership race. Well, she certainly has! Just like over the past decade, some smarmy campaign official somewhere is patting himself or herself on the back complimenting their sublime political genius for finding the winning formula for their candidate: […]
O’Leary’s decision on Conservative leadership depends on who else runs
TV personality Kevin O’Leary says he’s waiting to see who else enters the Conservative leadership race before deciding whether to run himself, and he’s likely to make a decision, one way or the other, by late October. Mr. O’Leary told The Hill Times last week that he anticipates other possible candidates will also make their intentions […]
Clement leadership campaign led by Crase, Ontario-heavy team includes former staffers
It’s been just over a month since Conservative MP Tony Clement officially threw his hat into the ring in the race to become the next Conservative Party leader, which will be decided in May 2017, and as he continues to shape his official campaign team, Hill Climbers has learned of a number of conservative organizers […]
What Jack Layton would have thought of the NDP now
MONTREAL—Five years on, what would Jack Layton make of the Canadian political landscape and the gloomy state of the party he led to unprecedented heights before his premature death? Because he always tended to see a glass half full rather than half empty I believe he would probably first note some bright spots. For instance, […]
Fantino joins Deepak Obhrai Tory leadership campaign, to focus on minorities, immigrant communities
Calgary Conservative MP Deepak Obhrai has rounded up support from former veterans affairs minister and one-time Toronto police chief Julian Fantino, and two other former Toronto-area MPs who began life in Canada as immigrants, as Mr. Obhrai’s underdog campaign for the Conservative party leadership gets underway. It appears one of Mr. Obhrai’s (Calgary Forest Lawn, […]
Out of touch and out of gas: where are post-Harper Conservatives headed?
OTTAWA—I always thought Preston Manning was done as champion of the restive western-driven Reform party the day he changed his mind and decided to move into Stornoway, the official opposition leader’s residence. Manning had previously said the modest mansion in upscale Rockcliffe Park should be turned into a bingo hall to raise money to pay […]
