PCs look to move past tumult in Ottawa West–Nepean
Jeremy Roberts acclaimed after accusations of fraud, fake memberships marred original nomination
Ottawa Tories will gather Wednesday evening to celebrate the acclamation of their candidate in Ottawa West–Nepean, marking the conclusion of nearly a year of party infighting in the provincial riding.
Progressive Conservative candidate Jeremy Roberts will receive the official nod during the event.
"Tonight is a formality," said Roberts, who initially ran for the nomination last May, but lost to another candidate. "It will really be a campaign launch event tonight."
Longtime Conservative and PC politicians and supporters including Pierre Poilievre, Lisa MacLeod and Marjory LeBreton are expected to attend the event at Villa Marconi to hear a speech by MPP Vic Fedeli, who was named the party's interim leader job after Patrick Brown resigned.
The controversy in Ottawa West–Nepean began last spring when the nomination meeting was marred with allegations of fraud, corruption and fake membership lists.
- PC party urged to investigate fake party memberships
- Call to clean up corruption in nomination of Ottawa-West Nepean
In May, after party members complained to Brown and calls for an appeal were ignored, the entire riding association board resigned.
But when Brown resigned in late January, there were renewed calls to overturn the 2017 nomination of Karma Macgregor.
In early February, the party's provincial nomination committee decided to re-open nominations in Scarborough Centre and Ottawa West–Nepean.
Roberts, who had lost the nomination by just 15 votes, decided to run again.
Macgregor attempted to appeal the nomination committee's ruling, but that appeal was rejected. Neither she nor any other candidate ran against Roberts for nomination a second time, leading to his acclamation.