Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith defended on Saturday the policy requiring a $1,000 "good conduct" bond from every person who has attempted to run as a candidate for her party.
Winners of the party nomination races, now running as Wildrose candidates, have had the $1,000 bond returned. However, those who tried but lost in the party's nomination contests won't get their deposit back until after election day on April 23.
The party still keeps the $1,000 bond from the failed office-seekers "so they that they don't go and sabotage the person who was the successful candidate," Smith said in Calgary.
"So the allegations being made that our successful candidates are somehow muzzled is silly. But yes, we're not going to return those good conduct bonds to the failed nominees until after the election."
She added: "I mean, you can continue, I suppose, hoping that one of them is going to have a bozo eruption, and I suppose maybe that's what you're upset about."
Sometimes nomination races get quite heated, Smith said, and the party wanted to make sure former contenders had an incentive to stand behind the winners.
Earlier this week, Smith said the party wanted to avoid failed candidates criticizing the winning candidate in the press, or trying to run for the nomination for another party. A party guidebook details 14 categories for why someone might forfeit their good conduct bond.
"We wanted to create a mechanism and incentive for candidates to not be sore losers."
But NDP Leader Brian Mason said Saturday Smith also has a problem with her candidates who hold socially conservative, and controversial, views.
"There are a lot of people there with some pretty outrageous and extreme views, and she has to try to keep them quiet somehow," Mason said in Edmonton.
The New Democrat leader said although the Wildrose party often talks about its free votes in the legislature and dedication to democratic renewal, the good conduct bond suggests if the Wildrose forms the next government, MLAs won't be able to speak their minds.
The Wildrose party also has a policy that candidates call and check in with party headquarters before speaking to the media, Smith said earlier this week.
Original Article
Source: edmonton journal
Author: Kelly Cryderman
Winners of the party nomination races, now running as Wildrose candidates, have had the $1,000 bond returned. However, those who tried but lost in the party's nomination contests won't get their deposit back until after election day on April 23.
The party still keeps the $1,000 bond from the failed office-seekers "so they that they don't go and sabotage the person who was the successful candidate," Smith said in Calgary.
"So the allegations being made that our successful candidates are somehow muzzled is silly. But yes, we're not going to return those good conduct bonds to the failed nominees until after the election."
She added: "I mean, you can continue, I suppose, hoping that one of them is going to have a bozo eruption, and I suppose maybe that's what you're upset about."
Sometimes nomination races get quite heated, Smith said, and the party wanted to make sure former contenders had an incentive to stand behind the winners.
Earlier this week, Smith said the party wanted to avoid failed candidates criticizing the winning candidate in the press, or trying to run for the nomination for another party. A party guidebook details 14 categories for why someone might forfeit their good conduct bond.
"We wanted to create a mechanism and incentive for candidates to not be sore losers."
But NDP Leader Brian Mason said Saturday Smith also has a problem with her candidates who hold socially conservative, and controversial, views.
"There are a lot of people there with some pretty outrageous and extreme views, and she has to try to keep them quiet somehow," Mason said in Edmonton.
The New Democrat leader said although the Wildrose party often talks about its free votes in the legislature and dedication to democratic renewal, the good conduct bond suggests if the Wildrose forms the next government, MLAs won't be able to speak their minds.
The Wildrose party also has a policy that candidates call and check in with party headquarters before speaking to the media, Smith said earlier this week.
Original Article
Source: edmonton journal
Author: Kelly Cryderman
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