The new rules represent a compromise between those who wanted fully open nominations controlled entirely at the riding level, and party headquarters, which wants the power to hold back ridings for high-profile candidates.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Conservative MPs will no longer have a lock on running in elections under new rules adopted by the party’s national council.
Two party sources told The Globe and Mail the new rules will allow a majority of party members in a riding to force an incumbent MP into a nomination race in minority Parliament situations.
In a majority Parliament, all MPs will have to contest a nomination.
The new rules will come into effect after the next election.
Both changes are a marked departure from the current rules which protect incumbents from nomination challenges provided they meet certain fundraising thresholds.
The new rules will also codify the power of the party leader to appoint candidates, but only in a maximum of eight ridings that do not already have a Conservative MP, the sources said.
The Globe is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to publicly disclose national council decisions.
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The new rules, approved Friday, flow from months of frustration at the riding level about how the party ran nominations for the last election campaign.
Complaints ranged from the party taking too long to fill open spots or closing nominations with little warning, to not being transparent enough about whom it disqualified and why. The new rules, the sources said, will provide more transparency around disqualifications and avenues for appeal.
The two sources said the new rules represent a compromise between those who wanted fully open nominations, controlled entirely at the riding level, and party headquarters, which wants the power to hold back ridings for high-profile candidates.
Party spokesperson Sarah Fischer declined to comment on the new rules, saying they would be communicated to members in due course.
MPs were expecting to get an update at this Wednesday’s caucus meeting, the last before Parliament breaks for the winter holiday.
Currently, sitting MPs automatically become the nominee provided they or their riding association raise $15,000 and they donate the maximum amount to the party and to their riding association in a specific time period.
Though the current nomination rules do not explicitly give the party leader the ability to hand-pick candidates, in practice the national council – and the leader – could appoint candidates.
The new Conservative rules land ahead of the party’s convention in January, where Pierre Poilievre faces a leadership review after failing to form government in the spring vote.
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Though Mr. Poilievre said “no” recently when asked whether he needs to change his leadership style, he has been under pressure from party members to change how the party runs, and work on new nomination rules began earlier in the fall.
Some of the nomination changes approved by the national council mirror proposals expected to be voted on by delegates at the convention.
Several riding associations are putting forward proposed amendments to the party’s constitution to enshrine a new approach to the nomination process.
Mr. Poilievre also lost his own seat in the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton and had to run in an Alberta by-election, which he won.
It has yet to be determined where Mr. Poilievre will run for the next election. Damien Kurek, who stepped down to let Mr. Poilievre run for his seat, is expected to be the party’s candidate in his old riding for the next vote.
Three MPs already aren’t running for the party again.
Cathay Wagantall, who represents a Saskatchewan riding, announced in July she won’t seek another term. Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux is also stepping down.
The Conservatives will also be looking for a candidate in the Nova Scotia riding of Acadie-Annapolis as the incumbent MP, Chris d’Entremont, crossed the floor to the Liberals earlier this fall.
The new rules also say the party must have candidates in all ridings ready to go within two years of a prior federal election.
The Liberal Party’s nomination rules already allow the leader to appoint candidates, and that party also protects incumbents from challengers if they meet certain criteria. Those include hitting certain benchmarks for engaging with supporters, increasing high-level donations and having enough money in their riding association’s bank account.