Anti-abortion group wants Conservatives to give riding associations power to fire MPs, to veto leadership's call on nomination contests

A prominent anti-abortion group is vying to get support from elected delegates across the country to force a vote on a constitutional amendment at the Conservative Party’s upcoming policy convention that would empower riding associations to veto the leadership’s decision on nomination contests and to fire MPs if members are unsatisfied with their performance. “A plurality of the EDA board or its membership may veto any decision by national council and/or the leader preventing a candidate from running in a nomination and/or election,” states the proposed amendment from the Campaign Life Coalition that was emailed to delegates March 9 and obtained by The Hill Times. “A plurality of a board may initiate a nomination challenge if they feel their MP is not representing the riding.” To force a vote at the convention slated for March 18-20, the Campaign Life Coalition needs the support of 100 delegates from 100 different ridings. In the email to delegates, Jeff Gunnarson, president of Campaign Life Coalition, said that, if this amendment had been in place, the party would not have been able to expel Derek Sloan (Hastings-Lennox and Addington, Ont.) from the caucus. Mr. Sloan was forced to sit as an Independent. A majority of the Conservative caucus led by Erin O’Toole (Durham, Ont.) booted Mr. Sloan in January, accusing him of engaging in a “pattern of destructive behaviour involving multiple incidents and disrespect towards the Conservative team for over a year.” After the expulsion, the National Candidate Selection Committee of the Conservative Party barred him from carrying the party’s banner in the next election. Mr. Sloan challenged this decision before the party’s national council, the powerful, 20-member body that governs the party. The appeal was denied Feb. 18. The national council also revoked Mr. Sloan’s party membership. “I only wish we could have had a clause like this in the party’s constitution already!,” wrote Mr. Gunnarson in the email. “We might’ve saved Derek Sloan from being disqualified from running again as the CPC candidate in his riding, via a simple majority vote of his EDA Board to veto the Leader’s decision.” The proposed amendment also aims to take the party leadership’s control away from protecting MPs from nomination challenges before federal elections. “In addition, this amendment provides a mechanism to hold Conservative MPs to account who have drifted too far to the left, by allowing them to be challenged in nomination contests,” said Mr. Gunnarson. “They’re often protected by the Leader who dictates which MPs cannot be challenged in a nomination, and which he will allow (or even quietly encourage) to be challenged.” In the current election cycle, the Conservative Party has set some relatively easy conditions for MPs who want to run again without facing a nomination challenge. The party told its caucus members last year that they would be shielded from challenges if an election were called by June 2021. With the governing Liberals presiding over a minority Parliament, an election can be called at any time. Derek Sloan was expelled from Conservative caucus in January. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade If the next election is called after June, the party advised MPs to try to raise $15,000 by the end of December if they would want to be the acclaimed candidate. MPs were given a deadline of April 30, 2021, to raise that amount to avoid a nomination contest. If the incumbent fails to meet this deadline, then they will have to go through the regular nomination process that’s open to anyone. The Liberal Party has put in place similar conditions to protect their incumbent MPs from nomination challenges. In an email sent out to supporters on March 5, Mr. Gunnarson claimed that “well over 1,000 CLC supporters right across Canada got elected as convention delegates!” CLC said it sought support from delegates on a constitutional amendment to make the Conservative Party “an officially pro-life party.” Article 70 of the Conservative Party’s Policy Declaration states that “a Conservative Government will not support any legislation to regulate abortion.” In the March 9 email, he said, the “response has been phenomenal,” and CLC has received the required support. Jack Fonseca, director of political operations for Campaign Life Coalition, said that the first amendment received support from 130 ridings. He said the proposed amendment sent out Monday would be the group’s last, and he’s optimistic it would get the necessary support. “We’ve been receiving lots of delegates’ signatures, but I don’t have a tally as of yet,” said Mr. Fonseca. “We obtained about 130 signatures on the human-life or on the pro-life amendment. I’m optimistic.” By deadline, the Conservative Party had not responded to a request for comment on the proposed amendment challenging the leadership’s authority. Mr. O’Toole on Tuesday reaffirmed his stance on abortion, telling reporters he hasn’t wavered from supporting abortion rights. “I’m pro-choice, and I’ve always stood for the rights of Canadians,” he said. Around 4,100 voting delegates are eligible to attend the online convention. Each of the 338 ridings can elect 10 delegates. The EDA president, incumbent MPs, and the candidates of record can also attend as voting delegates, as are Senators, national council members, former party leaders, provincial leaders, and policy and constitution members. One Conservative source told The Hill Times last week that around 3,000 people have already registered with the party to attend the convention. The Conservative Party did not confirm or deny that figure. Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the riding of Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole. He represents the riding of Durham, Ont., not Whitby, Ont. The Hill Times

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Anti-abortion group wants Conservatives to give riding associations power to fire MPs, to veto leadership’s call on nomination contests

Campaign Life Coalition needs the support of at least 100 delegates from 100 different ridings to force a vote at the March 18-20 policy convention.

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