BCL EXCLUSIVE! More Tory Turmoil In London: Rancourt Strikes Back!

Once candidate for the CPoC federal nomination in London-Fanshawe Gilles Rancourt tells of a betrayal of the party grassroots:

Re: Embattled Rancourt Quits Tories by Chip Martin

In response to Chip Martin's recent article on my quitting the Torie Party allow me to correct three (3) facts that should have been verified in advance of publication. Let me also "unspin" the fiction of Mr. John Brotzel.

First of all, there were not two failed attempts to represent the Conservatives - just the one. This one attempt failed, I was told by Party Brass in Ottawa, because of the "cloud hanging over my head" as result of an "an informal investigation" that was prompted by 15 false allegations. These allegations were fabricated by those displaced former directors who were not happy to have lost their former seats on the Board to new ethnic members who had been democratically elected at the May 15th Annual General Meeting.

This was no "coup" as Mr. Brotzel would like you to believe for how can a democratically held election be considered "a coup"? In fact, had not Mr. Brotzel's name been placed on our Slate of Directors, he would not be a director today much less the President.

Secondly, the membership applications were taken on the basis that new party members would participate in a Nomination Meeting where they could vote for the candidate of their choice, but alas, and true to form, the Conservative Party once again usurped member's rights by eroding democracy through the appointment of the candidate. Why take risks with democracy when an appointment provides a great degree of control? The Candidate’s greater allegiance then is to the Party who appointed him and NOT the members!

Need we wonder why 45% of eligible voters believe that their vote no longer matters?
As a result of not having a Nomination Meeting, we were faced with a decision: should we send these applications in for membership or should we first ask each new member what they would have us do with their application? In order to maintain integrity, our group decided to contact all the applicants.

Two months later, after we had completed our phone calls, we submitted the balance of applications to the Regional Controller, Marion Meinen but she promptly rejected them! We then bypassed this most difficult local board by sending them directly to the Membership Department in Ottawa, where they were immediately accepted into membership.

Thirdly, and for the record our resignation letter read as follows:

…We…(resign) “in protest” of the racial discomfort shown locally by London-Fanshawe EDA. We also object to the Conservative Party of Canada’s disregard of grass roots membership—with the sole exception of using the membership for constant solicitation of donations. We are tired of “top-down democracy.” We further object to the CPC’s undemocratic and unjust practices.

I have always admired Mr. Chip Martin's long term involvement in local party politics. I am now left in awe at his ability to write fiction.