A supporter of Mark King, the former Conservative Party candidate for Nipissing-Timiskaming, is taking a shot at the political party for removing the businessman as the candidate.
Gary Gardiner claims King was removed so the Conservative Party could say it has 100 women running in ridings across Canada in the October election.
Gardiner says when King was removed and Callander town councillor Jordy Carr was named in his place, it took the number of female candidates to “that magical plateau”.
“The number 100 sounds better than 99,” says Gardiner.
Gardiner says having women running for public office is a “worthy goal” but he objects to how the Conservative Party got another female candidate calling the process “tainted”.
Gardiner says the Conservatives are giving the impression that they want to be known as a feminist party just like the governing Liberals.
But he says to get there, the party is “willing to sacrifice democracy in the process”.
Gardiner says the powers that be “imposed the party’s will over the majority of members voting” at the June 17th nomination.
He says King won the vote that night but adds Carr has “accepted a nomination she did not win”.
King said at a news conference last week he was removed as the Tory candidate because he bought his membership to the Conservatives and the memberships of his family with a corporate credit card, something he denies.
King claims a business credit card with his name on it was used and adds there is a difference between both types of credit cards.
Cory Hann, the Conservative Party’s Director of Communications told My West Nipissing now.com that the rules and procedures are clear for all candidates and that they apply to all candidates.
Although King claimed it’s common practice for people to buy party memberships using a business card, Hann disagreed and said it’s “inaccurate to suggest it’s common practice for people to buy membership using a business credit card.”
My West Nipissing Now.com has reached out to Elections Canada to clarify if a person can buy a political party membership using a business credit card with the person’s name on it.
We await a response back from Elections Canada.