Prime Minister Stephen Harper's endorsement is being invoked by one of his incumbent MPs in a nomination race leading up to the 2015 federal election – though it wasn't made for this campaign.
Mr. Harper's photo, name and title are listed under "Key Rob Anders Supporters" in the Calgary MP's nomination website, with a quotation: "Rob is a true reformer and a true conservative. He has been a faithful supporter of mine and I am grateful for his work."
Mr. Anders is using that in his campaign, though a source said the endorsement wasn't meant for that. "It wasn't made recently or in the context of this nomination," a senior government source said of the quotation.
As of Thursday, Mr. Harper was the only person listed under "supporters" on Mr. Anders' website.
"I've known the Prime Minister a long time. I don't think you're going to see him actually come out to the meeting or anything like that. But I have been supportive of him through both of the leadership races," Mr. Anders said. "…We go back a long ways."
Mr. Anders isn't the only Conservative MP that will face a challenge under the party's commitment to open nominations. Since some of the races aren't yet formally open, some candidates may back out or not be approved by the party, but the races are shaping up.
Rob Anders vs. Ron Liepert, Calgary Signal Hill
Mr. Anders is running against former Alberta finance minister Ron Liepert for the Conservative nomination in the riding of Calgary Signal Hill, with a vote expected within weeks. The long-time Calgary MP has consistently sought to frame the race as one pitting him, a “blue” conservative, against Mr. Liepert, a “red Tory.” The two come from different flanks of the party – Mr. Anders was a Reformer and Mr. Liepert was a Progressive Conservative MLA.
“He’s got all sorts of signs up that he’s obviously paying a tremendous amount of money for… He’s definitely putting in an effort, and we’re not being slouches on the other side,” Mr. Anders said, adding he has particularly strong support in pockets of the riding that include a Christian school, a major church and a retirement home.
Mr. Liepert said in an earlier interview that Mr. Anders’ views – regularly controversial – don’t line up with that of the riding. “His time is done. Because I haven’t met one single person in the last dozen years who had positive things to say about him,” Mr. Liepert said in an earlier interview.
Another candidate, former riding president Dan Morrison, had been seeking the nomination but declined comment.
Eve Adams vs. Natalia Lishchyna, Oakville North-Burlington (Ontario)
This new riding is one of the party’s more closely contested races. The MP, Ms. Adams, is in the unusual position of shifting ridings – the current MP for Mississauga-Brampton South will seek the nomination in Oakville North-Burlington, immediately to the west of the Mississauga.
Ms. Adams says she moved to Oakville last year with her family and now intends to run in the riding. Ms. Lishchyna, a chiropractor, is also running. The winning candidate will be in good shape – based on 2011 results, the Oakville riding is a safe seat for the Conservatives, and more so than those in Mississauga.
The camps have been at odds early on the question of who lives in the riding or has the deepest ties to it. Ms. Adams moved last year, while Ms. Lishchyna has lived for years in Oakville but falls, she says, “two street lights” outside the riding boundary.
Ms. Adams relies on this in her messaging. “I’ve always felt strongly you need to live in the area you want to represent,” she said, adding she now splits her time between Ottawa, her current riding and Oakville. “I spend a day in Mississauga and Brampton door-knocking, and then I spend the remainder of the weekend, a day and a half, door-knocking in Oakville and Burlington,” she said. She has endorsements from two cabinet ministers, Quebec’s Denis Lebel and British Columbia’s James Moore.
Ms. Lishchyna, meanwhile, says it was her slate that nearly swept elections for the local Conservative association. She says her family’s lives have revolved around the Oakville area for years. “I care deeply about my community and that is why the choice to run to be a strong voice in Ottawa was easy to make with my family’s support,” she said, adding: “I am confident that the Conservative Party of Canada will have open and transparent nomination meetings throughout the country including my riding.”
Jim Hillyer vs. Alex B. Hann vs. Doug McArthur, Lethbridge (Alberta)
Mr. Hillyer is among those most affected by the redrawn ridings – his hometown now doesn’t fall in it. After initially saying he’d challenge an incumbent so he could run where he lived, he backed off to run in Lethbridge, where he’s facing a challenge.
“The background to this is there’s tremendous unhappiness in the riding with the incumbent,” said local investment adviser Doug McArthur, who is seeking the nomination. “…The riding needs a better quality of representation, and that’s why I’m doing this. Why am I the best candidate? I think a diversity of background and experiences.”
Alex B. Hann is also running, and launched his campaign with a notable endorsement from Rick Casson, who’d been the MP before retiring and being succeeded by Mr. Hillyer.
“I have experience in municipal government, I’m a caring and compassionate conservative and I’ve worked with people my whole life,” Mr. Hann said.
He said he valued Mr. Casson’s endorsement, with the two having served in municipal politics together. Mr. Casson, however, stressed his endorsement of Mr. Hann is not meant specifically as a rebuke of Mr. Hillyer.
“When he expressed an interest this time, that he’d take a run at it, I’d encouraged him to – strictly because I know the quality of the guy and he has, in my mind, what it takes,” Mr. Casson said of Mr. Hann, adding he won’t be attacking Mr. Hillyer. “This campaign for Mr. Hann will not go down that road at all. We’re going to promote a very good man in Alex Hann, and that’s where it’ll stay.”
Mr. Hillyer didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Mike Lake vs. John Whaley vs. Mohinder Banga vs. Mohinder Toor, Edmonton–Wetaskiwin
A wider race is brewing south of Edmonton. Under Canada’s new electoral map, roughly 23 per cent of Mr. Lake’s current riding was split off into Edmonton-Wetaskiwin, including his own home. That led Mr. Lake to run in the new riding.
“The other 77 per cent don’t know me,” he says of the new riding, though it also includes the town he grew up in. “I guess the biggest challenge is to just introduce myself, you know, and talk a little bit about my eight years serving and answer any questions they might have.”
He doesn’t shy away from the race, even though, as an MP, he has to split time between Ottawa and home.
“A nomination race isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but we live in a democracy, and I think one of the great things about our party is we do have the opportunity to have the members have their say. As Members of Parliament, it’s hard work but, for me, it’s something I actually look forward to,” Mr. Lake said.
The move is pitting him against Mr. Whaley, the mayor of Leduc County, included largely in the new riding. It is, so far, a collegial race – both candidates stuck to their own record, avoiding attacks on the other.
After seven years as mayor, Mr. Whaley said others encouraged him to run.
“I had no idea at the time Mike was putting his name forward. Most of his riding was out of the area. He only had a small sliver in this riding,” Mr. Whaley said, adding he dealt mostly with other MPs who have slid south and north under redrawn ridings.
“Now that they’re not going to be there, I was asked if I was putting my name forward,” he said, adding: “I’ve lived in this area for a long time, I’ve been actively involved with the municipal politics part of this world.”
Ads in a local newspaper show two other candidates, Mr. Banga and Mr. Toor, are running for the nomination as well. Mr. Banga confirmed that, but declined an interview. A message to Mr. Toor wasn’t returned.
Devinder Shory vs. Buta S. Rehill vs. Puma Banwait, Calgary Skyview
Mr. Shory is also among those facing a challenge in his riding, currently Calgary Northeast and being largely preserved in the new map as Calgary Skyview.
“I believe that I have a strong and proven conservative record of representing the constituents of Calgary Northeast and I look forward to defending it,” Mr. Shory said in a statement, adding he expects to be challenged. “I believe that we are so fortunate to have the privilege of freely getting involved in the political process in this country and having many people engaged with our Conservative Party is never a bad thing,”
Mr. Rehill, a long-time small-business owner, said he’s been preparing a challenge for two years. “I believe in the philosophy and the values of the Conservative party, and I’ve been a member for a long time,” he said. Asked about the daunting task of challenging an incumbent, he replied: “I’m not worried at all. I’ve got lots of support in the community, and I know my strengths and I think I might even win.”
Mr. Banwait, a local real estate agent, confirmed he was also seeking the nomination.