In the short term both Paul and I will be taking some time off. We began this campaign at the end of November 2007. We worked pretty much every hour of every day on the campaign. For now we are going to take a few steps back and re-focus on our own lives.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved with the YES campaign. Without your support and involvement we would never have achieved what we did. It was an honour and a pleasure to work with everyone.

Congratulations to the newly elected executive, especially Robert Elliott. Although he was a declared YES supporter, Robert and his team campaigned with vigour and determination throughout the weekend and obviously bridged a divide in the various camps. Maybe there's a lesson in there somewhere for the rest of us?

We'd like to encourage everyone to stay active and involved in the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Your voice can only be heard if you are engaged and working on the inside.

I know many of you want one question answered:

What do you do with John Tory now? Do we continue to fight to remove him? Do we lay down our arms? Do we take a wait and see approach?

I think we go slow.

Stay tuned.

Nick

CBC Windsor Radio interview with Nick Kouvalis and John Capobianco

The following post comes from the Conservative Hipsters blog:

Hi there.

I won't be at the AGM this weekend, as my wife is about to give birth to our second child. So, I'm hoping that you can send a message along to John Tory, his team and the Party.

I ask that you vote YES to a leadership review.

I am a long-time activist. I've been working in ridings for over 15 years. I've sat on the Party Executive, the provincial Youth Executive and even worked (yes, I was paid) as a riding organizer. I know this Party and its members.

When this whole thing started, I was openly critical of the Draft A Leader folks and thought that Tory should probably sweat it out, but should stay.

All that has changed.


Since the election defeat, virtually EVERYTHING that John Tory has done has pushed me to my current belief that he should go. I have come to this view rationally and gradually. It has not been one event, but a series of events and thoughts that have brought me to this conclusion. I'll lay them out.


Firstly, while his "apologies" are made often, they reveal a disappointing mindset. He has said repeatedly that he was "doing what leaders do" during the campaign and it was his team minding the shop. "The campaign was the disaster! Look I fired Lasch!" Well, actually, you shouldn't of hired David Miller's campaign buddy in the first place, but I nevertheless don't think that's the accountability we're looking for.

But this does brings me to my second point. From everything I've heard and know personally, Tory had his fingers in everything. In fact, he was somewhat of a serious micro mananger. He wrote a lot of the platform. He had a large say in how the campaign unfolded. And most importantly, he chose the staff and the campaign team. Its one thing to be say: "Look, I delegated to my team and I got burned." But we all know Tory doesn't delgate anything. Remember, this is the guy that gets in at 6:00am and e-mails Party members personally. What about his "legendary work ethic"? Now he wants us to believe he was content just being the candidate? Give me a break.

So, he had a hand in everything, which leads me to my next point. He has clearly demonstrated that he hasn't learned a damn thing just by the people he has surrounded himself with. Look at the Tories4Truth fiasco; how aggressive his Together With Tory crew is, how they attack Party members; the way that his loyalists are manipulating the system leading up to the AGM so he can win (and they are, believe you me). Humble in defeat they are not.

Then, if it couldn't get much worse, Tory goes on TVO and acts like he has no idea what his team was doing. "Did I put that press release out?" Oh my God. This was the icing on the cake for me. He is either completely incompetent or a flat out liar. Either way, I guess he's "not up to the job."

I'm tried of him begging to keep his job. I'm tired of the conditional apologies. I'm tired of him running around the province, like kilometres on your minivan mean something. I'm tired of the biggest reason (for keeping) our Leader around not being how good he is, but how "bad" it would be for the Party. If I was going (and of course, I actually got notice of the DSM for my riding and was a delegate) I would be voting YES for a Leadership Review. But I'm not, so I leave it to you.

Here is my last point. The big argument (which is a pathetic reason to keep a leader, but I digress) I keep hearing is: "Who would replace John Tory? Who is waiting in the wings?" Well, besides the not-so-subtle comment the pro-Tory forces are making about their low opinion of the PC Caucus, I'm trying to think of an instance where an accomplished individual from the outside world was pursuaded into running for Leader of the Ontario PC Party after an election loss.

Yeah, you're right. That's NEVER happened before.

I mean, who in their right mind would leave the lucractive business world to run for PC leader?

Stop being afraid. Please vote Yes.

When you can't win by fair and legitimate means, change tactics.

Today 81 YES delegates received letters by Purolator courier from Andrew Brander, candidate for 6th Vice-President, challenging their status as delegates.

First and foremost we want to assure everyone that the YES team is dealing with this frivolous and vextious complaint. We have legal counsel that are dealing directly with the Credentials Chair of the Convention on behalf of all those challenged.

This tactic is simply designed to discourage YES supporters from attending the convention.

All the way from the Home Office in Windsor, Ontario, here are the stats - What have you been interested in looking at?

Here are the Top 10 pages on the site along with the Top 10 YouTube videos.

Top 10 Pages Viewed on DraftALeader.com

Top 10 YouTube Videos

Note: all page counts were reset to zero on 01 January, 2008

Recycling is generally considered to be a worthwhile endeavour. It's application in politics though, can often produce unintended results.

The following letter from Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett was first posted on the Together with Tory website with a date of December 29th. Yesterday it was reposted in the Together with Tory "Latest News" section as a reprint of a Letter to the Editor of the Simcoe Reviewer newspaper (the published version removed the last line of the letter). Yesterday evening we fielded a phone call and subsequent email from a YES supporter who had just received this same letter in the mail, sent from Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Headquarters on PCPO stationary. While YES supporters volunteer their time and money in support of a Leadership review, it appears that John Tory and the complete party machine continue to spend your donations as they see fit, to assist his effort to remain as party leader.

Letter from Toby Barrett, MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk

Envelope

Since John Tory supporters are so determined to recycle this letter in support of his remaining as Party Leader, we felt it was necessary to respond.

As MPP (Haldimand-Norfolk) and PC member, I have received two anonymous letters bad-mouthing John Tory and management of the election.

"I have very strong support from the caucus, I have very strong support from the candidates who ran in the election," Tory said.

Toronto Star, January 7th, 2008

Mr. Tory is believed to have solid support from ex officio members, including current and former MPPs and presidents of riding associations.

The Globe and Mail, January 22nd, 2008

In the increasingly popular American Primary race, they're called Super-Delegates. In the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Leadership Review Convention, they're called Ex-Officio Delegates. Whichever race you consider, their effect can be both significant and decisive at the same time.

With an estimated attendance between 1100 to 1300 delegates, the potential Ex-Officio vote ranges from 40.4% to 47.7%. If Ex-Officio attendance at the convention averages 60%, their vote would still account for somewhere between 24.2% to 28.6%. Either way, it's a hefty percentage and a hefty burden.

A New York Times op-ed offers a caution that should be considered by both classes of delegates, wherever they may hail from.

Superdelegates, Back Off

The perception that the votes of ordinary people don’t count as much as those of the political insiders, who get to pick the nominee in some mythical back room, could hurt our party for decades to come.

Background

The Constitution of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and the Convention rules list the following as automatic Ex-Officio delegates. (estimated numbers in brackets)

(d) The current and all former Leaders of the Party. (3)
(e) All current and former members of Caucus. (146)
(f) All Progressive Conservative candidates in the last Provincial election in Ontario, provided that if a candidate has been nominated to contest the next Provincial election in an Electoral District not represented by a Progressive Conservative member, such nominee shall be a delegate in place and stead of the candidate in the last Provincial election. (81)
(g) All Conservative Party candidates in Ontario in the last Federal election, provided that if a candidate has been nominated to contest the next Federal election in an Electoral District not represented by a Conservative Party member, such nominee shall be a delegate in place and stead of the candidate in the last Federal election.(107)
(h) Members of the Senate of Canada from Ontario representing the Conservative Party. (7)
(i) The Executive.(24)
(j) Ten (10) members of the executive of the recognized Women’s Association. (10)
(k) Ten (10) members of the executive of the recognized Campus Association. (10)
(l) Ten (10) members of the executive of the recognized Youth Association. (10)
(n) Fifteen (15) members of the PCOF Board of Directors. (15)
(o) The President of each recognized Riding Association. (107)
(p) Past Presidents of the Party. (3)
(q) Policy Advisory co-chairs. (2)

Total: 525

Posted By JENNIFER PELLEGRINI

Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory made a quick stop in Niagara Saturday, as he strives to maintain his leadership of Ontario's official opposition.

After a meeting with delegates from Tim Hudak's Niagara-West Glanbrook riding in Smithville, Tory called The Review to talk about issues he said remain important to Ontario residents.

Among them: An opposition leader who is willing to listen to their concerns.

"I think (this cross-provincial trip to speak to delegates who will vote in the Conservative party's leadership convention later this month) gives them an opportunity to make comments to me I've found immensely beneficial," said Tory, who was en route to a similar meeting in Mississauga late Saturday afternoon. "As I visit riding after riding, people know there were lessons to be learned from mistakes that were made, which I take full responsibility for."

Tory said he's aware of Bart Maves' bid to have Tory ousted from his leadership role, but harbours no ill-will against this city's Conservative candidate in last fall's election.

"I'm obviously aware of Mr. Maves," said Tory. "But he's taking an active role in (the leadership review) and I commend him for that." Tory said he's taking a two-part message about the party to the meetings he had in London, Brantford, Smithville and Mississauga Saturday and Sunday's meetings in Vaughn, Peterborough and Belleville.

"The party's organization had been allowed to deteriorate over the past four to five years," said Tory, who described plans to update membership lists and other internal changes as "overdue."

"Some things just didn't work."

Complete story at the Niagara Falls Review

Believe it or not, there are a few other races going on beside the Leadership Review at the London Convention. Below is the complete list from the PCPO website. I've included websites and Facebook groups where I have been able to find them.

Contested positions have been highlighted. If anyone has any additional information, please feel free to contact us at info@draftaleader.com

This post will be updated as soon as any additional informatin is received.

PRESIDENT: KEN ZEISE

1ST VICE-PRESIDENT: CHRISTINE HOGARTH

2ND VICE-PRESIDENT: JOHN CRUICKSHANK

2ND VICE-PRESIDENT: LES KOBLI

Facebook Group

3RD VICE-PRESIDENT (POLICY): DARWIN KEALEY

3RD VICE-PRESIDENT (POLICY): PHIL MILLER

4TH VICE-PRESIDENT: MARK SPIRO

5TH VICE-PRESIDENT: ANDREA MCGUIGAN

6TH VICE-PRESIDENT: ANDREW BRANDER
Facebook Group

6TH VICE-PRESIDENT: ROBERT ELLIOTT
Facebook Group

Facebook Page

YouTube Page

7TH VICE-PRESIDENT: DAVE FORESTELL

8TH VICE-PRESIDENT: SALLY HARRIS

8TH VICE-PRESIDENT: DIANNE LAWSON

Facebook Group

9TH VICE-PRESIDENT: RYAN O'CONNOR

SECRETARY: JUDY BOBKA

TREASURER: RON COLUCCI

Regional Vice-Presidents

SOUTH WEST: MARTHA-KATE BARTZ

SOUTH WEST: JACK BIERNASKI

CENTRAL: TERRY BARLOW

SOUTH CENTRAL: TONY QUIRK

GTA-WEST: MATTHEW WENSLEY

TORONTO: ROBERT AMARON

TORONTO: JUSTIN VAN DETTE

GTA-EAST: JEFF GRAHAM

NORTHEAST: RICH STIVRINS

EASTERN: RICHARD RAYMOND