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 (i.e. no corporation or union funds may be used).

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 (as of 5:00 pm) and to become a member of the party eligible to vote (as of 11:59 pm)https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/ontariopc/pages/2651/attachments/original/1517491181/Leadership_Rules_-_Final_and_Approved_-_2018-01-31.pdf?1517491181
*February 20, 2018: PC Party Provincial Nominations Committee meets to interview Elliott, Ford, Granic Allen and Brown as part of the vetting process. (As the only nominated riding candidate, Mulroney has already been vetted).
*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 (candidates who withdraw after this date may still appear on 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

Nipissing 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 (2016–2018), a past PC leadership candidate (2009 and 2015) and former MPP (Whitby—Ajax 2006–07, Whitby—Oshawa 2007–15). 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

Endorsements

*MPPs: (13) Ted Arnott (Wellington—Halton Hills), Lorne Coe ( Whitby—Oshawa), Ernie Hardeman (Oxford), Michael Harris (Kitchener—Conestoga), Randy Hillier ( Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington), Jim McDonell ( Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry), Sam Oosterhoff ( Niagara West—Glanbrook), Randy Pettapiece (Perth—Wellington), Ross Romano ( Sault Ste. Marie) Laurie Scott (Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock), Todd Smith ( Prince Edward—Hastings), Bill Walker ( Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound), Jim Wilson (Simcoe—Grey)
*MPs: (10) Dean Allison ( Niagara West—Glanbrook), Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills), Marilyn Gladu ( Sarnia—Lambton), Peter Kent ( Thornhill), Ben Lobb (Huron—Bruce), John Nater (Perth—Wellington), Alex Nuttall ( Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte), Erin O'Toole (Durham), Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston), David Sweet ( Flamborough—Glanbrook)
*Senators:
*Municipal politicians: (17) Kevin Ashe ( Pickering City Councillor for Ward 1; Deputy Mayor of Pickering), Doug Conley ( Hamilton City Councillor for Ward 9), Steven Cooke (Clarington Municipal Councillor for Ward 1), Gary Crawford (Toronto City Councillor for Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest), Murray Fearrey ( Reeve of Dysart et al), Pat Fortini ( Brampton City Councillor for Wards 7 & 8), Angela Kennedy (Toronto Catholic District School Board Trustee for Ward 11), Jeff Knoll (Oakville Town Councillor for Ward 5), Gordon Krantz (Mayor of Milton), Natalia Lishchyna (Oakville Town Councillor for Ward 6), Bart Maves (Niagara Regional Councillor for Niagara Falls), Sandy McConkey ( Springwater Township councillor for Ward 4), Sue McFadden ( Mississauga City Councillor) for Ward 10), Tony Quirk (Niagara Regional Councillor for Grimsby), Karen Ras ( Mississauga City Councillor) for Ward 2), Jake Skinner (Thames Valley District School Board Trustee for London Wards 7, 8, 9, 10, and 13), Ron Starr ( Mississauga City Councillor for Ward 6)
*Former MPPs: (5) Dave Boushy (Sarnia, 1995–1999), Dianne Cunningham (London North, 1988-2003), Phil Gillies (Brantford, 1981–1987), Morley Kells (Etobicoke—Lakeshore, 1981–1985 and 1995–2003), Dennis Timbrell (Don Mills, 1971–1987)
*Former MPs: (4) Lois Brown (Newmarket—Aurora, 2008-2015), Costas Menegakis ( Richmond Hill, 2011–2015), Joe Oliver (Eglinton—Lawrence, 2011–2015), Pat Perkins ( Whitby—Oshawa, 2014–2015)
*Former Senators: (1) Marjory LeBreton (Ontario, 1993–2015)
*Former municipal politicians: (3) Paula Peroni ( Sudbury Catholic District School Board Trustee for Zone 5, 1997-2014), John Sanderson ( Peel Regional Councillor for Brampton Wards 3 & 4, 2006-2014), John Shea (Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Trustee, 2006-2014)
*Nominated candidates: (30) Deepak Anand ( Mississauga—Malton), Roman Baber (York Centre), Peter Bethlenfalvy ( Pickering—Uxbridge), Paul Calandra (Markham—Stouffville), Bob Chapman ( Oshawa), Jill Dunlop (Simcoe North), Amy Fee (Kitchener South—Hespeler), Goldie Ghamari ( Carleton), Parm Gill ( Milton), Mary Henein Thorn (Kitchener Centre), Christine Hogarth (Etobicoke—Lakeshore), Karin Howard (Ottawa South), Adam Ibrahim ( Windsor West), Logan Kanapathi (Markham—Thornhill), Mohammad Latif ( Windsor—Tecumseh), Ben Levitt ( Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas), Chuck McShane (Niagara Falls), Cameron Montgomery (Orléans

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