https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/liberal-markham-stouffville-riding-resigns-jane-philpott-1.5084247Most of Jane Philpott's Liberal riding association leadership quits
'We had a star candidate in Jane,' says board secretary
Amara McLaughlin CBC News Posted: Apr 09, 2019 11:27 AM ET
Most board members of the federal Liberal riding association for Markham-Stouffville - represented by MP Jane Philpott - have stepped down in solidarity with the well-liked former cabinet minister, with the board's secretary saying she no longer has "the heart" to back a new candidate.
In an exclusive interview with CBC News, an emotional Leea Nutson said she and nine other members of the association's 16-member board tendered their resignations following a meeting Monday night.
With a fall federal election campaign bearing down, Nutson said that two board members will be staying on in the interim to assist the campaign of the next Liberal candidate. Three others will continue serving the riding association, while one member's intentions are unknown.
Nutson said that the board members chose to resign independently and did not offer their resignations as "a protest" against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The volunteers simply "don't have the energy" to support another candidate, she said.
"I have no longer got the heart to run or work on another campaign," Nutson told CBC News from her home in Markham, north of Toronto, today.
"We had a star candidate in Jane."
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In Philpott's riding Tuesday, many said they would continue to support her if she ran - even as an independent.
"She's been good for the town and she probably stood up for what she thought was right. I think if she were running again here, we'd probably still vote for her," said resident George Sled.
Those leaving the federal Liberal riding association board are among its most senior members. Many worked on Philpott's campaign in 2015 and those of previous party candidates.
The board is the backbone of the Liberal party in the Markham-Stouffville riding. The volunteers are key players for a candidate seeking a foothold in the community because they organize campaign rallies, phone banks and door-to-door canvassing.
"The board members that are left are very worthy individuals," said Nutson, adding they're going to have to work fast to find replacements for more than half of the association's leaders.
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/canada/philpott-says-trudeaus-caucus-expulsions-violated-law/wcm/5f130f40-5df0-4dbb-9a99-f47dafcd8f99Philpott says Trudeau's caucus expulsions violated law
Philpott says the Parliament of Canada Act says MPs can't be kicked out of their party groups without a vote and Trudeau ejected them on his own
The Canadian Press Updated: April 9, 2019
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On Sunday, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer revealed that Trudeau's lawyer had sent him a libel notice, demanding he retract his claims that the prime minister had lied to Canadians and interfered with the SNC prosecution. Scheer made clear he has no such plans.
Trudeau, asked about the legal threat, said Tuesday that with an election coming up,
it's important that politicians be discouraged from twisting the truth and distorting reality.
"You can’t be lying to Canadians," said Trudeau.
"It’s not something we're going to put up with."https://www.straight.com/news/1225301/ex-federal-liberal-agency-canada-director-calls-party-probe-expulsion-wilson-raybouldEx-Federal Liberal Agency of Canada director calls for party probe into expulsion of Wilson-Raybould and Philpott
by Charlie Smith on April 8th, 2019 at 6:32 PM
For more than three decades, Vancouver chartered professional accountant Elbert King (Bert) Paul was a loyal federal Liberal.
He served on the board of the Federal Liberal Agency of Canada, which is the party's chief agent. And he chaired its audit committee.
Today, Paul asked the Liberal Party of Canada president, Suzanne Cowan, to launch an "independent investigation" into the April 2 expulsion of Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott from the Liberal caucus.
In a letter to Cowan, Paul cited a recent interview with Conservative MP Michael Chong on CBC's Power & Politics show.
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He copied the correspondence to Canada's chief electoral officer, Stéphane Perreault.
"I have specific concerns arising from possible contravention of the Canada Election Act pertaining to the rights of disenfranchised liberal voters in the ridings of Vancouver Granville and Markham-Stouffville [which are represented by Wilson-Raybould and Philpott]," Paul stated. "I, along with Canadians, await your response with deep concern."
https://www.thestar.com/politics/2019/04/03/i-will-never-vote-again-for-the-liberals-bc-voters-reconsider-their-ballots-after-jody-wilson-raybould-expulsion.html‘I will never vote again for the Liberals’: B.C. voters reconsider their ballots after Jody Wilson-Raybould expulsion
By David P. Ball Star Vancouver Wed., April 3, 2019
VANCOUVER - Many B.C. voters who cast their ballots for the Liberals in the last federal election are having second thoughts as the next one looms - and several told the Star that the "last straw" was seeing one of B.C.’s star members of Parliament expelled from caucus.
That backs up a recent poll by Research Co. that found dwindling support for the party from the very people who supported it in 2015.
The survey, released last week, found one-third of 2015 Liberal voters in B.C. think a different leader than Trudeau would do things better, while one in four thought "a different party would do things better in Ottawa as a government than the Liberals." (The poll of 800 people had a 3.5 per cent margin of error).
In that election, British Columbia was home to nine of 70 narrow victories - ridings where Liberal candidates beat their opponents by less than five per cent of the ballots. That's why experts say the Liberals need to be careful about risking B.C. ahead of this fall's federal election, which must be held before Oct. 21.
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