"Under the new rules, introduced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and rubber-stamped in private at last week's Conservative caucus retreat, local ridings will no longer have the power to set nomination dates or be responsible for notifying the party membership.
HQ now calls all the shots a perfect fit with Harper's control fetish and the result is a form of democracy by stealth that will preserve tired incumbency and keep fresh blood from entering a party that campaigned on openness and transparency."
The upshot is that MP Rob Anders, spin-doctor for the mouth-breathing wing of the old Reform party (and my old classmate), who would have faced a tough challenger at his nomination - which is the only kind of challenge there is for a Tory in Alberta, now has buddy Harper rig the process to ensure a smooth ride.
You gotta love Calgary, it's got the climate of Saskatchewan and the politics of 'Chinatown'.
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