Allegations of arbitrary rules and deadlines were leveled at the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives this weekend by Susan Auch, who wanted to run for the provincial nomination in Transcona.
In Episode 9, Auch tells her version of how she was treated, and why she thinks party insiders manipulated the process to keep her out and smooth the way for former City councilor Shawn Nason.
Raised in Transcona, Susan Auch became a 3-time Olympic skating medalist inducted into numerous athletic halls of fame. A realtor, she had an unsuccessful run for the Tories in 2011 in Assiniboia, so she’s not a newcomer to party politics.
3.30- When she heard a byelection was called for March 18th to replace the late MLA Nello Altomare, Auch felt “Transcona’s my neighborhood and I wanted to run. .. I called headquarters and initially the CEO was very excited… she called me back and she was quite cool.”
Auch explains the odd restrictions placed on her, ranging from a 30 hour time limit, to being denied a membership list while told the nomination paper signatures had to be from current members only.
She raises a good point- why would she be told not to sign up new members, when the party is in the midst of a leadership race? Auch says she spoke to one of those hopefuls, Obby Khan.
7.00– Marty Gold explains the court precedent set in the 1980’s when Tory stalwarts Tom Denton and Olga Fuga tried to withhold member lists to control a non-profit boardand Justice Scollin scolded them.
10.10- Auch’s statement was “certain insiders saw me as a threat.” She answers questions about her comment.
Also discussed- Nason certainly isn’t afraid to compete for the nomination; former PC leader Hugh McFadyen and her run in 2011; skewed rumours about Auch’s civil court cases; “in Manitoba courts, people can lie”.
18.15 – “The question we should ask is why would we not want the constituency to decide on who should be their representative?”
Hear Auch’s remarks about her disappointment in how the 2011 PC campaign treated her and the need to shore up current leadership.
“I’m a business person and I’m a leader. Why would you not want me to have a chance and compete?… we need this party to be strong and have a lot of leaders.”
27.30 Part 2 – Marty provides his overview of the nomination situation in Transcona, and how it can impact voter perceptions.
******
Today in the Winnipeg Sun-
“The City claimed it would take 10 extra hours beyond the allotted 2 hour FIPPA limit, and demanded he pay $300 for the reports to be located.
“So I asked to see it. A city spokesman responded, “Engineering reports are not public domain but can be requested through the FIPPA process.”
“And I was told it’s not an actual policy.
“There is no specific directive regarding technical reports being or not being appended to administrative reports. It is just our best practice to not publish technical or engineering reports in their raw state. We instead summarize the technical reports within the administrative report, which was done in this case.”
“Best practice? To keep taxpayers in the dark, maybe. “
And guess who wants the $5M bridge?
The Bike Lobby.
Read it here:
City keeps report justifying $5M Omand’s Creek mega bridge secret
******
Our interviews, investigations and analysis is fueled by the direct financial support of listeners and readers who believe in our mission- You have the power and the right to know what’s really going on in your community.
We cover crime, public safety, government waste and neighborhood issues with insight and knowledge gathered over decades of being Your Watchdog.
Support for the costs of Season 6 can be sent via PayPal or E-transfer at the links on our Donate page– where the top podcasts and more are listed for your review.
WE EARN YOUR SUPPORT.