2018 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election
The 2018 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election was held on March 10, 2018, due to the resignation of party leader Patrick Brown on January 25, 2018, following allegations of sexual misconduct. Winner Doug Ford narrowly defeated runner-up Christine Elliott on the third ballot with 50.6% of allocated points.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election was scheduled for 3 months before the 2018 provincial election scheduled for June 7. It came after a turbulent year of disputed and allegedly fraudulent nominations contests across the province for local PC candidates. In two of these contests; Ottawa West—Nepean and Scarborough Centre the nominations were overturned after Brown's resignation and Brown's own nomination in Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte was cancelled. At the time of the leadership election Newmarket—Aurora and five others remained under active investigation by the party and Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas remained under police investigation.
According to Article 23.1 of the PC party constitution, when there is a vacancy in the position of leader, the party caucus chooses an interim leader to serve until a new leader is elected in a leadership election, which must be held within 18 months of the vacancy occurring, and in which all party members can vote. Party president Rick Dykstra told the media on January 25 that "a leadership election will take place at such time as the PC party shall determine in its discretion". The party executive met on January 26, 2018, following the caucus election, to determine whether to have a leadership election before the provincial election, and if so, how it would proceed, or whether to have the interim leader lead the party into the election, and called the leadership election for March 2018.
Rules and procedures
All party members are eligible to cast votes by preferential ballot using electronic balloting, provided that they are members in good standing by February 16, 2018. To be eligible, one must be at least 14 years of age, a Canadian Citizen who is a resident of Ontario, and pay a $10 membership fee with personal funds.The vote was weighted so that each of the province's ridings that has more than 100 votes cast are allocated 100 electoral votes; ridings in which fewer than 100 party members vote were weighted, but instead had the votes counted as individual votes. The lowest-ranked candidate were dropped from the next round as ballots are counted, and the first candidate to get 50 per cent of the votes was declared the new leader.
Candidates must be nominated by at least 100 party members, must agree to abide by the party's existing platform for the next election, and must be approved by the party's nominations committee as a PC candidate for the 2018 provincial election.
Method and Electronic Security
The voting method is solely electronic voting with no other access methods. To cast a ballot, a three-part validation-vote was employed. First each eligible member had to register to vote with a code sent via regular mail. Second, each member who had registered had to validate their identity with one piece of government issued identification by uploading an image. Third, each qualifying member was provided a second access code to use during the voting period via the internet. The system was criticized by all candidates as overly complicated and difficult for elderly members and those with difficulties using or accessing computers.Doug Ford and Tanya Granic Allen raised concerns over the security and legitimacy of the vote. Ford stated he believed "party elites" and "the establishment" would try to steal the election and said "there should be security cameras on the servers". Past leadership candidate Frank Klees said he had grave concerns about the integrity of the vote.
Timeline
- January 24, 2018: Leader Patrick Brown holds an emergency press conference at 9:45 pm to deny allegations of sexual misconduct, 15 minutes before CTV News planned to break a story detailing allegations made by two women. The PC Caucus meets in a telephone conference call and demands Brown's resignation.
- January 25, 2018: Just before 1:30 am, Brown issues a statement announcing his resignation as party leader but maintaining his innocence. Brown states his intention to remain an MPP.
- January 26, 2018:
- * PC caucus unanimously elects Vic Fedeli as interim leader and Fedeli announces he intends to run for the permanent leadership
- * The PC Party executive decides to hold a full-scale leadership election before the next provincial election and sets the date of the leadership election.
- January 28, 2018: Party president Rick Dykstra resigns shortly before Maclean's magazine publishes a story about him allegedly sexually assaulting an employee during his time as a federal MP.
- January 29, 2018: Doug Ford announces he intends to run.
- January 30, 2018: Fedeli withdraws from the contest.
- January 31, 2018: The party's executive decides on the timeline and rules for the leadership election.
- February 1, 2018: Christine Elliott officially declares her candidacy.
- February 3, 2018: Ford officially declares his candidacy.
- February 4, 2018: Caroline Mulroney officially declares her candidacy.
- February 8, 2018: Tanya Granic Allen announces she intends to run.
- February 14, 2018: Granic Allen officially declares her candidacy.
- February 15, 2018: All-candidates televised debate held in Toronto, moderated by Steve Paikin and aired on TVOntario.
- February 16, 2018:
- *Former leader Patrick Brown is expelled from the PC caucus, and then declares his candidacy.
- *Last day of the nomination period and to become a member of the party eligible to vote
- February 20, 2018: PC Party Provincial Nominations Committee meets to interview Elliott, Ford, Granic Allen and Brown as part of the vetting process..
- February 21, 2018: Provincial Nominations Committee approves the candidacies of Brown, Elliott, Ford, and Granic Allen in addition to Mulroney, whose candidacy had previously been approved.
- February 23, 2018: Last day for candidates to withdraw their names from the ballot.
- February 26, 2018: Patrick Brown withdraws from leadership race.
- February 28, 2018, 6:30 pm: All-candidates debate held at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, moderated by Althia Raj of HuffPost Canada.
- March 1, 2018, 1:30–3:00 pm: Debate held in London, Ontario, between Christine Elliott, Doug Ford, and Tanya Granic Allen; moderated by Andrew Lawton of CFPL and broadcast live on Global News Radio stations and over Facebook. Caroline Mulroney declined an invitation to attend the debate.
- March 2–9, 2018: Voting period. Online balloting used. Voting ended at noon on the last day of the voting period. An application for a court injunction to extend the voting period by a week was denied by an Ontario Superior Court of Justice judge.
- March 10, 2018: Leadership votes counted and results were scheduled to be announced at a convention in Markham, Ontario at 3 pm. However, results were not made available at that time and at 7:30 pm the party's Chief Electoral Officer announced a review of some ballots was required and the results were not announced until after 10 pm.
- March 11, 2018: Elliott initially issues a statement refusing to concede, citing "serious irregularities with respect to this leadership race" and asserting that "thousands of members have been assigned to incorrect ridings" resulting in electoral points being misallocated. However, Elliott releases a statement later that evening conceding to Ford and pledging her support for him as leader.
- June 7, 2018: Fixed-date of the 2018 Ontario provincial election.
Debates
Interim leadership
MPP Vic Fedeli was elected as interim leader by the PC parliamentary caucus in a unanimous vote on January 26, 2018. Caucus had favoured having the interim leader lead the party in the election campaign but the party executive opted to hold a leadership election prior to the general election.Candidates
[Christine Elliott]
Christine Elliott,, is the former non-partisan Patient Ombudsman for Ontario, a past PC leadership candidate and former MPP. She is a lawyer by training, and is the widow of former federal Minister of Finance, and 2002 and 2004 Ontario PC leadership candidate Jim Flaherty. Elliott is also a co-founder and director of the Abilities Centre, a facility for those with special needs.Elliott opposed a carbon tax, and supported building a high-speed rail line between Toronto to Windsor.
- Date candidacy declared: February 1, 2018
- Date candidacy registered with Elections Ontario: February 7, 2018
- MPPs: Ted Arnott, Lorne Coe, Ernie Hardeman, Michael Harris, Randy Hillier, Jim McDonell, Sam Oosterhoff, Randy Pettapiece, Ross Romano Laurie Scott, Todd Smith, Bill Walker, Jim Wilson
- MPs: Dean Allison, Michael Chong, Marilyn Gladu, Peter Kent, Ben Lobb, John Nater, Alex Nuttall, Erin O'Toole, Scott Reid, David Sweet
- Senators:
- Municipal politicians: Kevin Ashe, Doug Conley, Steven Cooke, Gary Crawford, Murray Fearrey, Pat Fortini, Angela Kennedy, Jeff Knoll, Gordon Krantz, Natalia Lishchyna, Bart Maves, Sandy McConkey, Sue McFadden, Tony Quirk, Karen Ras, Jake Skinner, Ron Starr
- Former MPPs: Dave Boushy, Dianne Cunningham, Phil Gillies, Morley Kells, Dennis Timbrell
- Former MPs: Lois Brown, Costas Menegakis, Joe Oliver, Pat Perkins
- Former Senators: Marjory LeBreton
- Former municipal politicians: Paula Peroni, John Sanderson, John Shea
- Nominated candidates: Deepak Anand, Roman Baber, Peter Bethlenfalvy, Paul Calandra, Bob Chapman, Jill Dunlop, Amy Fee, Goldie Ghamari, Parm Gill, Mary Henein Thorn, Christine Hogarth, Karin Howard, Adam Ibrahim, Logan Kanapathi, Mohammad Latif, Ben Levitt, Chuck McShane, Cameron Montgomery, Fadi Nemr, Lindsey Park, Derek Parks, Michael Parsa, Esther Pauls, David Piccini, Jeremy Roberts, Sheref Sabaway, Amarjot Sandhu, Amanda Simard, Donna Skelly, Dave Smith, Nina Tangri
- Other prominent individuals:
- Organizations: Trent Campus Conservatives
- Media: Jonathan Kay
Doug Ford">Doug Ford Jr.">Doug Ford
Ford promised to "present Ontarians with a compassionate and responsible vision". He wanted to keep taxes low and eliminate a carbon tax. He stated he would not support policies that make Ontario less competitive. He has promised to fund election promises by finding efficiencies in government. Ford is in favour of expanding public transit in the GTA. He promised to revisit the sex-education curriculum.
- Date candidacy announced: January 29, 2018
- Date candidacy declared: February 3, 2018
- Date candidacy registered with Elections Ontario: February 2, 2018
- MPPs: Toby Barrett, Raymond Cho
- MPs:
- Senators:
- Municipal politicians: Vincent Crisanti, Michael Ford, Billy Pang, Allan Tam Jeremy D Williams,
- Former MPPs: Frank Klees
- Former MPs:
- Former Senators:
- Former municipal politicians:
- Nominated candidates: Vincent Ke, Charity McGrath, Michael Tibollo
- Other prominent individuals: Charles McVety, Paul Melnichuk
- Organizations:
- Media:
Tanya Granic Allen
Granic Allen opposes abortion and also supported repealing and replacing the Liberal government's new sex education curriculum. She promised to rerun contested riding nominations completed under Patrick Brown.
- Date candidacy announced: February 8, 2018
- Date candidacy declared: February 14, 2018
- Date candidacy registered with Elections Ontario: February 13, 2018
- Date candidacy revoked: May 5, 2018
- MPPs:
- MPs: Brad Trost
- Senators:
- Municipal politicians:
- Former MPPs:
- Former MPs:
- Former Senators:
- Former municipal politicians:
- Nominated candidates:
- Other prominent individuals: Paul Fromm
- Organizations: Campaign Life Coalition,> Catholic Civil Rights League
- Media:
[Caroline Mulroney]
Mulroney wanted to use the "People's Guarantee" as a "starting point". She supported childcare rebates as well as cuts to hydro rates. Mulroney had been in favour of a carbon tax, but shifted against one. Mulroney remained committed to spending $1 billion to build Hamilton's light rail transit system. Her platform would have had a small deficit to pay for her promises.
- Date candidacy declared: February 4, 2018
- Date candidacy registered with Elections Ontario: February 5, 2018
- MPPs: Bob Bailey, Monte McNaughton, Norm Miller, John Yakabuski, Jeff Yurek
- MPs: Gord Brown, Tony Clement, Diane Finley, Stephanie Kusie, Guy Lauzon, Phil McColeman, Rob Nicholson, Lisa Raitt, Bruce Stanton, David Tilson, Peter Van Loan
- Senators: Nicole Eaton, Thanh Hai Ngo
- Municipal politicians: Nancy Deni, Eric Duncan
- Former MPPs: John Snobelen, David Turnbull
- Former MPs: Bal Gosal, Ted Opitz, Peter MacKay, Brian Mulroney, Joe Preston, Terence Young
- Former Senators: Consiglio Di Nino, Bob Runciman
- Former municipal politicians:
- Nominated candidates: Will Bouma, Clifford Bull, Stan Cho, Stephen Crawford, Merrilee Fullerton, Jon Kieran, Daryl Kramp, Stephen Lecce, Jane McKenna, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Rod Phillips, Kaleed Rasheed, Greg Rickford, André Robichaud Prabmeet Sarkaria, Gillian Smith, Effie Triantafilopoulos, Susan Truppe
- Other prominent individuals:
- Organizations:
- Media: Conrad Black
Withdrawn candidates
Patrick Brown">Patrick Brown (politician)">Patrick Brown
Patrick Brown,, is the MPP for Simcoe North and a former Conservative MP for Barrie. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario from 2015 until his 2018 resignation triggered this leadership election. Brown was expelled from the PC caucus hours before registering his candidacy on February 16, 2018. On February 21, 2018 the party's nominations committee approved Brown to seek the leadership in a 3 to 2 vote.Brown planned to run on the full "People's Guarantee" platform, including a carbon tax which would fund the platform, and which had been the intended 2018 election platform prior to Brown's resignation.
Brown withdrew ten days after announcing his candidacy, claiming that he and his family had been subjected to threats for entering the contest. His withdrawal occurred hours after reports surfaced that as leader he had directed top party officials: "get me the result I want", in a riding nomination that has subsequently become the focus of a Hamilton Police Service investigation for alleged fraud and also the same day that the Integrity Commissioner announced an investigation of Brown's travel expenses and other alleged financial improprieties.
- Date candidacy declared: February 16, 2018
- Date candidacy registered with Elections Ontario: February 16, 2018
- Date withdrew: February 26, 2018
- MPPs:
- MPs:
- Senators:
- Municipal politicians: Shelby Kramp-Neuman,
- Former MPPs: Garfield Dunlop
- Former MPs: Brian Storseth
- Former Senators:
- Former municipal politicians:
- Nominated candidates: Troy Crowder, Rudy Cuzzetto, Mark DeMontis, Jass Johal, Angely Pacis, Iris Yu, Eric Weniger, Dionne Duncan,
- Other prominent individuals: Aaron Hopkins Thomas DeGroot
- Organizations:
- Media:
[Vic Fedeli]
- Date candidacy announced: January 26, 2018
- Date withdrew: January 30, 2018
- MPPs:
- MPs:
- Senators:
- Municipal politicians: Mike Anthony, Mark King, Al McDonald, Bill Vrebosch
- Former MPPs: Rod Jackson
- Former MPs:
- Former Senators:
- Former municipal politicians:
- Nominated candidates:
- Other prominent individuals: Diane Suski,
- Organizations:
- Media:
Declined
- Stella Ambler, former MP for Mississauga South
- Peter Bethlenfalvy, former businessman and PC candidate in Pickering—Uxbridge. Endorsed Christine Elliott.
- John Baird, former federal foreign minister and MP and a former provincial cabinet minister and MPP
- Steve Clark, Co-Deputy Leader and MPP for Leeds—Grenville. Not endorsing any candidate.
- Tony Clement, former federal and provincial cabinet minister, MP for Parry Sound—Muskoka, former MPP for Brampton South and Brampton West—Mississauga Endorsed Caroline Mulroney.
- Sylvia Jones, Co-Deputy Leader and MPP for Dufferin—Caledon. Not endorsing any candidate.
- Jim Karahalios, corporate lawyer and founder of activist groups "Axe The Carbon Tax" and "Take Back Our PC Party". Was sued by the PC party but the case was dismissed.
- Frank Klees, former provincial minister and MPP, former leadership candidate. Supports Doug Ford.
- Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun columnist and 2009 PC by-election candidate in St. Paul's.
- Lisa MacLeod, Finance Critic, Treasury Board Critic and MPP for Nepean—Carleton Not endorsing any candidate.
- Monte McNaughton, Critic for Economic Development, Employment & Growth and MPP for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex Endorsed Caroline Mulroney.
- Alex Nuttall, MP for Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte. Endorsed Patrick Brown then Christine Elliott.
- Kevin O'Leary, Businessman, Reality TV Host, and former candidate for leadership for the Conservative Party of Canada.
- Erin O'Toole, former federal Veterans' Affairs Minister and MP for Durham, former federal Conservative leadership candidate. Endorsed Christine Elliott.
- Jordan Peterson, University of Toronto psychology professor, author, and social commentator.
- Rod Phillips, former president of Postmedia, former head of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, former head of CivicAction and current PC candidate in Ajax. Endorsed Caroline Mulroney.
- Lisa Raitt, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, MP for Milton, and former federal cabinet minister. Endorsed Caroline Mulroney.
- Ross Romano, Critic for Northern Ontario Jobs and the Ring of Fire, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie. Endorsed Patrick Brown then Christine Elliot.
- Todd Smith, Energy Critic and MPP for Prince Edward—Hastings. Endorsed Christine Elliott.
- John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, former Ontario PC leader, former Opposition Leader and former MPP for Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey .
Opinion polling