The Brandon-Souris soap opera

To Brandon-Souris, where the by-election for a seemingly safe Conservative seat is already far more interesting that it probably has any right to be. Of the three potential candidates for the Conservative nomination, one withdrew shortly before he was said to have been disqualified, while another, a former assistant to the former Conservative MP,  was disqualified though he insists his paperwork was in order.

“All applications had to be received at national headquarters in their original form by 6 p.m. eastern on Sept. 11,” a source in the Conservative party said. “Mr. Kennedy’s application did not meet that deadline as his application arrived on Sept. 12. Mr. Kennedy was also missing the required $1,000 deposit. The deadlines for the nomination applications were not condensed and were known to all members three weeks in advance. The rules clearly state that the applications must be in by the deadline.”

Kennedy rejects that explanation, claiming he personally sent the application by courier and has a tracking number to verify time of delivery. He insists the cheque was stapled to the application.

Inky Mark, the former Conservative MP for the neighbouring riding of Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette, who previously complained about the process to select a new candidate in that riding, now says the process in Brandon-Souris “stinks.”

Meanwhile, the president of the NDP riding association suggested a few weeks ago that the New Democrats, Liberals and Greens work together to defeat the Conservative candidate—an idea that was subsequently dismissed by the national offices of both the NDP and Liberal party.