"There is a democratic process in place, they nominated me once, they reinforced that tonight," Casey said following the association's two-hour meeting in Truro, N.S.
"If (Harper) believes in the democratic process, then that decision will hold."
But Harper's press secretary said in an interview late last night that the Prime Minister was "crystal clear" about his position.
"As the Prime Minister said last week when he was asked that question, there will be a Conservative candidate in the riding, and it will not be Mr. Casey," said Dimitri Soudas.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who told Parliament earlier this year that no Conservative who voted his conscience would be punished, also echoed Harper at an announcement in Halifax yesterday.
Casey said he would run as an independent if he is not allowed to run as a Conservative.
"If that's the way it works out, I'm ready," said Casey.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/266853
[Proofreader’s note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on October 16, 2007]
Note: http://www.thestar.com/...
N.S. Tories Defy Harper, Back Rebel MP
Posted on Monday, October 15 at 11:04 by 4CanadaContributed By
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When you are up to your ass in alligators it is difficult to remember that the initial objective was to drain the swamp
It is not clear if the decision for MacDonald to come out publicly in support of any new Conservative candidate chosen for Casey's riding was part of the "smoky" agreements between Harper and MacDonald but I suspect it was. MacDonald could have prevented the growing split among provincial PCs by taking the more statemanslike approach and staying neutral.
It is not uncommon for Harper to go over the heads of party associations and he can do that under party and Elections Canada rules. Being able to do it and doing it on a consistently successful basis is something different.
Harper apparently sent MP Keddy to demand that NSPC Party members support Harper and his federal followers without question in a "your with us or you are against Rodney" speech. This was no doubt a strategy to draw Bush style lines in the sand. Atlantic Canadians don't take kindly to that kind of language because they are accustomed to expressing independent ideas.
The fact that the old Reform Party democratic reformers are so quiet in the face of Harper's autocratic, centralized rule, is interesting. Why is it that it is Progressive Conservatives who are rebelling and not the Reformers? Was their commitment to democratic reform a sham?