Approximately 675K eligible to vote in Conservative leadership race: party
The Conservative Party of Canada says approximately 675,000 members will be eligible to vote in this year’s leadership race.
Party representatives told reporters Thursday the historic number reflects the success of each campaign’s outreach efforts.
“We've had six credible candidates out there, each with a slightly different message to Canadians, but taken together, it's resonated in a way that has produced this extraordinary mobilization,” said Ian Brodie, chair of the Leadership Election Organizing Committee.
In February, before the June 3 membership sign-up deadline was set, there were about 113,000 active members nationally – excluding those whose memberships were set to expire by that date.
The preliminary 675,000 tally has been scrubbed of non-compliance sales – transactions not in line with leadership rules – and duplicate memberships.
“In the frenzy of a leadership race, it's normal to draw in people who don't know all the ins and outs of party finance rules,” Brodie said.
Among those who registered over the course of the last several months, 95 per cent purchased their memberships online.
The party is releasing the list to each individual campaign Thursday. Candidates and their teams have until Monday at midnight to challenge any names they feel have been listed “improperly.”
By that same deadline, they can also request to have a name added if they believe an individual has been missed.
“Our chief returning officer Don Nightingale has the authority to make decisions about challenges. His decisions can then be appealed to our dispute resolution appeals committee. Once all of these challenges have been disposed of, the chief returning officer then promulgates the final voters list,” said Brodie.
The party doesn’t usually release preliminary membership numbers, but did so this time given the notable surge.
The most recent high was recorded during the party merger in 2004, which combined several leadership contests to reach 282,000 memberships.
Ballot packages will be mailed out in batches over the next several weeks, the party said, and must be returned by Sept. 6. A new leader will be named Sept. 10.
During the 2020 leadership race, results were significantly delayed due to thousands of ballots being damaged upon opening.
The automated envelope opening machines were slicing both the envelope and some ballots, requiring a fresh ballot to be re-marked with the identical data in order for it to be properly scanned and tabulated.
Yaroslav Baran, who handles media communications for the current leadership contest, told CTVNews.ca on Thursday they’ve made processing changes to avoid a similar issue.
“Given the volumes we are dealing with, the party has really increased the number of people processing every stage. There is a small army of people working on this, and that small army will be repurposed to ballot validation once we are in that stage,” said Baran in an emailed statement.
CANDIDATES WEIGH IN
Jean Charest’s campaign said the membership number is “great news” for the party and that they are “very confident” they have a motivated base.
“We will continue to persuade party membership by offering real ideas and solutions that will make us competitive in the next federal election,” said Director of Communications, Michelle Coates Mather in a statement.
Jamie Ellerton, campaign manager for Scott Aitchison, said 675,000 Canadians have “stepped up” to help the party “strive for a better Canada.”
“Scott Aitchison will launch his national Hope and Respect Tour next month and continue to work to build a Conservative Party that can deliver the results and good government that Justin Trudeau is incapable or unwilling to provide,” a statement reads.
CTV News reached out to all campaigns for comment but at the time of publication, had only heard from the above.
With files from CTV News' Rachel Aiello
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Loblaw agrees to sign grocery code of conduct after months of negotiations
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. said Thursday it's ready to sign on to the grocery code of conduct, paving the way for an agreement that's been years in the making.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
Pierre Poilievre presses Justin Trudeau for summer pause on carbon and fuel taxes
To give Canadians a break on their summer road trips, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to suspend all gas and diesel taxes from Victoria Day to Labour Day.
Kidnapped by her father and kept in a crawl space: Court documents reveal Montreal horror story
A Montreal father who kidnapped his daughter who has autism and lied to police when they asked where she was should serve three years in prison, a Crown prosecutor said.
Ontario's so-called 'Crypto King' soliciting investments as recently as February: police
Police are alleging that Ontario’s so-called ‘Crypto King’ Aiden Pleterski was soliciting investments as recently as February – almost two years after he was petitioned into bankruptcy for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
Noticed a new payment? Some Canadians get first carbon rebate
Many Canadians found a message from the Canada Revenue Agency this week as they received their first direct deposit for the Canada Carbon Rebate.
Teen died from eating a spicy chip as part of social media challenge, autopsy report concludes
A medical examiner says a Massachusetts teen who participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge died from ingesting a substance 'with a high capsaicin concentration.'
Protecting your car from the growing risk of keyless vehicle thefts
Auto technology has evolved and many newer cars use wireless key fobs and push-button starters instead of traditional metal keys. But that technology also makes things easier for thieves.
WATCH Scientists get a surprising glimpse at a rare deep-sea squid
Scientists from the University of Western Australia and Kelpsie Geociences in the U.K. say they were surprised to discover an underwater camera caught video of a rare deep-sea squid.
Local Spotlight
Starbucks fan on decades-long journey to visit every store in the world
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
'Sacred work': Sask. First Nation learning how to conduct its own underground searches
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
'It could mean a cure': Cautious optimism for groundbreaking ALS research at Western
ALS patient Mathew Brown said he’s hopeful for future ALS patients after news this week of research at Western University of a potential cure for ALS.
B.C. musician's song catches attention of Canucks
When Adam Kirschner wrote 'Slap Shot,' he never imagined the song would be embraced by his favourite team.
'We're on standby': Team ready to help entangled right whale in Gulf of St. Lawrence
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Thieves caught on camera stealing pet chicken from North Vancouver backyard
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Adopted daughter in the Netherlands reunited with sister in Montreal and mother in Colombia, 40 years later
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
'Reimagining Mother's Day': Toronto woman creates Motherless Day event after losing mom
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
Chris Hadfield inspires youth musical in Sudbury
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.