Tories accused of trying to replace Guergis

[CHIMO]

Conservatives in Helena Guergis's riding are accusing their own party brass of heavy-handed tactics in trying to parachute a star candidate in to replace the former cabinet minister.

The would-be candidate is well-known Conservative activist Kellie Leitch, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and director of the Health Sector MBA program at the University of Western Ontario's Richard Ivey School of Business.

In a lengthy letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, obtained by The Canadian Press, the Conservative electoral district association in Simcoe-Grey complains of repeated interference, obstruction and gag orders by Conservative headquarters.

"We don't want to lose this seat in the next election. But head office personnel have deliberately interfered with, obstructed and circumvented our autonomy as an association, and our right to freely express our opinions," the executive members wrote.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2010/05/03/guergis-party-tactics.html
Monday, May 3, 2010 | 9:58 PM MT

[JBoy]

1. LOL. It's like these people don't know Harper at all.

[ZeitgeistObserver]

3. Yes, where have they been all these years?

If Harper wants to parachute in a new candidate, that's what they'll get no matter how much they protest. Harper won't sign Helenas nomination papers. She's toast. And so are the 'grass roots'.

[daleo]

2. Harper parachuted his guy into Jaffer's old riding too

Edmonton Strathcona should also be most interesting in the next election.