Preliminary figures released on Thursday show that there are now about 675,000 members eligible to vote for the next Conservative leader, compared to 269,469 party members who were able to vote last time. “What we have here is truly an extraordinary and historic development of the membership list,” said Ian Brody, chairman of the party’s Organizing Committee for Elections. Between February and June, the party says about 613,000 members have registered, although 45,000 of them are possible party renewals. However, Brodie says the numbers show that Canadians are in the race. “The campaigns had a tremendous reach across this country in the lives of Canadians to get them involved in this struggle,” Brodie said. The preliminary list will now go to the leadership candidates for review. They will have until Monday to request the removal or addition of members to the list. Brodie said campaigns should document their challenges by providing a valid explanation as to why a member should be removed from the list. The basis for a dispute may, for example, include evidence that a member registered twice, at two addresses. Campaigns can also mark members that need to be added to the list if they have been cleared because they have, for example, the same name as another member. CLOCKS Power Panel: The list of members of the Conservative leadership has been published
Power Panel: The list of members of the Conservative leadership has been published
Power Panelists Elliot Hughes, James Moore, Brad Lavigne and Emilie Nicolas discuss how high membership numbers could influence the Conservative leadership race.
Campaigns can now use the list to shop for votes
Some 6,500 registrations have already been flagged as non-compliant, meaning they did not follow the rules of the party or the Canadian election. A party official who spoke in the background said that the majority of non-compliant registrations were rejected because they were paid by someone other than the member. The official said the number of non-compliant registrations was in line with what the party had seen in previous leadership races. The party will not release information on the number of members registered through individual campaigns, but a source in the background said the majority of members registered online, including the candidate’s websites and the party’s own portal. Publishing the preliminary list allows all campaigns to call or email party members to try to get them on their side. Left-wing Conservative candidate Pierre Poilievre and Patrick Brown share an exchange of views during the French Conservative Party leadership debate in Laval, Quebec on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Pore to Freedom Convoy protesters there has been a controversial issue in the leadership debates so far. (Ryan Remiorz / The Canadian Press)
Brown is considering running for mayor of Brampton
The list can also help Brown decide on his future in the race. He told CBC News on Wednesday that he was considering re-election to Brampton if he appeared to lose to Conservative leader Pierre Puliev in September. “If it looks like Pierre is going to win, I would rather go to the polls than be part of a Conservative election wreck,” Brown told CBC News. Poilievre’s campaign had previously claimed to have registered more than 300,000 members, while Brown’s campaign claimed to have registered 150,000.
Poilievre marches with protesters against vaccines
Meanwhile, Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative leadership race, took part in a march against vaccination orders in Ottawa on Thursday, as partisan fractures continued to erupt over how closely members should be linked to the assembled protesters. in Ottawa for Canada Day Army reservist James Top paraded in Ottawa on Thursday to protest vaccination orders. Poilievre joined him on a walk and appeared in online video chatting with Topp and other protesters. “Today I walked next to army veteran James Top, who traveled the country on foot for free choice,” Poilievre said in a tweet. “End all orders. Restore our freedoms. Let people regain control of their lives.” Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre marched with James Topp, a reserve soldier protesting vaccination orders. (Justin Tang / Canadian Press) Military police charged Topp in February with two counts of misconduct and discipline for comments made while wearing his uniform. Top has since led a four-month drive to the capital from Vancouver. When asked to comment on Poilievre’s decision to join the protest, Poilievre’s campaign directed CBC News to comments it made to CTV News along the way. “I think that [Topp] supports freedom of choice. People should have the freedom to make their own decisions with their body and that is why, I think, he has walked all over the country and that is why I thought to greet him and listen to him and see if he has any thoughts to “share with me,” Poilievre told CTV. This is not the first time that prominent Conservatives have met with protesters against the vaccines, including Top. Last week, a group of Conservative MPs, including leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis, met with Freedom Convoy organizers who occupied Ottawa in February. Today I walked next to the army veteran, James Top, who has traveled the country on foot for free choice. Terminate all commands. Restore our freedoms. Let people regain control of their lives. pic.twitter.com/yp6XwXEE9B – @ PierrePoilievre Support for the Freedom Convoy protests has also been a hot topic in the debate over the leadership of the campaign, with candidate Patrick Brown accusing Poilievre of backing Pat King, one of Freedom Convoy’s leading figures. Poilievre denied the accusation, but defended his support for those protesting the vaccine orders. Another candidate for the presidency, former Quebec Prime Minister Jean-Chares, also pursued Puliyev for his support of the escort protesters. “Mr Poilievre … supported an illegal blockade,” Charest said in the first debate. “You can not make laws and break laws.” But in a media statement Thursday, Charest blamed the Trinto government for the ongoing protests. “This latest protest is a symptom of the failures of Trinto’s leadership,” Charest said. “It continues to show more interest in wedge politics than in getting out of this pandemic. After all, as long as the protest remains peaceful, Canadians have the right to express their frustration.” Top stopped short and drove to Ottawa to attend the meeting, which took place at a government building near Parliament Hill. Top said he invited all lawmakers to attend, although only about 20 – all Conservatives – did. A spokesman for interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen said her office knew about the event but did not help organize it. Former Ontario MP and current leadership candidate Roman Baber also voiced support for Topp on Thursday. “He is marching peacefully to give a voice to millions of Canadians. Instead of demonizing Canadians, let us put an end to all orders and division. It is time to heal,” he said in a statement.
