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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \u00a9 @RichardDECARIE\/twitter\n Richard Decarie, a social conservative whose views were widely \ncondemned by some senior Conservatives, has been barred from running the\n party’s leadership race.\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
OTTAWA \u2014 The Conservative Party has released a \u201cfinal list\u201d of \ncandidates approved to run in the leadership race, and Richard D\u00e9carie \nis not on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
D\u00e9carie had prompted outrage last month after he \nwent on national TV and said that in his view being gay is a choice, \namong other inflammatory remarks. His comments \n were strongly condemned<\/a> by many Conservative MPs and leadership candidates including Peter MacKay, Erin O\u2019Toole, Marilyn Gladu and Rick Peterson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The\n Conservative Party\u2019s leadership nomination committee interviewed \nD\u00e9carie on Thursday, which indicates he had fulfilled everything else \nneeded to enter the race, including a $25,000 fee and 1,000 signatures \nfrom party members. (To stay on until the final ballot, he would have \nneeded to pay a further $275,000 and collect 2,000 more signatures by \nMarch 25.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also watch: MacKay on cannabis laws, Huawei & where he’ll run (Provided by CBC)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n D\u00e9carie\u2019s campaign team told the Post on Friday that they had met the\n basic entry requirements and expected D\u00e9carie would be approved to run.\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo reasons were provided to me by the committee,\u201d said a \nstatement from D\u00e9carie on Saturday. \u201cIt seems, then, that my candidacy \nwas viewed as a threat to the establishment of the CPC and to the kind \nof leader that THEY want to select. Thus far I was the only candidate \nwho took a strong position in support of traditional marriage and who \nproposed to defund abortion federally since it is not health care.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Party\n spokesperson Cory Hann would not confirm on Saturday why D\u00e9carie was \nnot on the final list of applicants, saying that reasons for approving \nor disqualifying a candidate aren\u2019t released. Hann did say that the \nfinal list has been signed off on by the full leadership election \norganizing committee (LEOC). <\/p>\n\n\n\n A<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A party official with direct knowledge of the matter, speaking on \ncondition of anonymity, said the rejection was not specific to D\u00e9carie\u2019s\n TV interview, but related to his application as a whole. The \napplication includes a lengthy questionnaire and various screening \nmeasures such as background checks and scanning social media feeds, \nprevious activities and written work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The official also pointed \nout that other socially-conservative candidates (Leslyn Lewis and Derek \nSloan) are in the race, so the party is not looking to block people with\n those views. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Video player from: YouTube (Privacy Policy<\/a>)\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the leadership race rules, there is no further route of \nappeal for D\u00e9carie now that the entry deadline of Feb. 27 has passed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll decisions of the LEOC are final and are not subject to internal appeal or judicial review,\u201d the rules say. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \n \n\n \n\n\n \u00a9 Darren Calabrese\n A man is silhouetted walking past a Conservative Party logo before the\n opening of the Party\u2019s national convention in Halifax on Thursday, \nAugust 23, 2018.\n\n\nThe leadership questionnaire that had to be filled out by all candidates\n did include questions that could have formed the grounds to block D\u00e9carie<\/a>\n , such as whether the candidate has ever \u201cbeen accused of, or been \nengaged in, activities that promote discrimination or hatred against \npeople on the basis of\u2026sexual orientation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n D\u00e9carie\u2019s statement \nsaid his supporters, who he called \u201cTrue Blue Conservatives\u201d with \n\u201ctraditional values,\u201d will still be a force in the party and this \nleadership race. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey will continue to be with or without my \ncandidacy in this particular leadership contest,\u201d he said. \u201cI will \ncontinue to work with all True Blue conservatives who want to support \nand take action in the conservative movement, and within the \nConservative Party of Canada regardless of how uncomfortable this makes \nthe unelected Red Tory elite.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The list of eight candidates approved to run are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Marilyn Gladu <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rudy Husny <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jim Karahalios <\/p>\n\n\n\n Leslyn Lewis <\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter MacKay <\/p>\n\n\n\n Erin O\u2019Toole <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rick Peterson <\/p>\n\n\n\n Derek Sloan <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Conservative Party blocks controversial candidate Richard D\u00e9carie from running for leadership Brian Platt 10 hrs ago Former Liberal cabinet minister Rich Coleman to retire from politics 3 new COVID-19 cases announced in Ontario \u00a9 @RichardDECARIE\/twitter Richard Decarie, a social conservative … Continue reading ![\"a](\"https:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/BB10yY49.img?h=600&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f\")