Monday 19 September 2011

Coverage of the Chamber of Commerce exclusion of Communist and other candidates


The St. Catharines-Thorold Chamber of Commerce has persisted in its practice of excluding candidates arbitrarily.  In 2007 they excluded the Communist Party for not being "mainline", and after protests they included us in 2008.  However in 2011 they excluded us in the federal election as per a policy following the Elections Act's vote rebate threshold 2% of votes, which is a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as decided in Figueroa vs Canada, and the Chamber's use of this rule is arbitrary as there is another Election Act rule reimbursing election expenses with a 10% threshold which excludes 92 of the Liberal candidates in the last federal election.  Moreover, the Niagara Falls and Welland Chambers of Commerce have invited all candidates including independents, and the St. Catharines-Thorold Chamber of Commerce co-hosted a debate in the same 2011 federal election in Welland inviting all candidates including the independent.  See the press release for details of the protest of this arbitrary and autocratic violation of the Communist candidate's Charter rights.

Please a follow-up post for a letter-writing campaign to persuade the Chamber's board to change its policy in line with the rest of the riding and with democracy.


“Fringe candidates removed from election debate”

Front page (front-and-centre) story in the Standard focusing on the joining-the-included-candidates-on-stage phase of the protest.


“ELECTION NOTEBOOK: Excluded St. Catharines candidates disrupt start of meeting”

Bullet News Niagara's more complete coverage of the protest.



includes a reader's comments:

Mike Cloutier This is so wrong. The Chamber of Commerce decides which candidates can participate in the debate based on an arbitrary 2 per cent of the vote in the last election. Why not 1 per cent? Or how about 50 per cent? Or how about only the one who won last time? Just disgusting and a real kick in the teeth of democracy.


http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3302944
Hudak won't show for key local election debate


Niagara Falls Review mentions the protest at the end of this article to give context to another Chamber cancelling its debate as Tory leader Tim Hudak has refused to show up at any debates in his riding.


http://stcaths.ca/2011/09/low-key-st-catharines-candidates-debate-follows-dramatic-opener/
Low-Key St Catharines Candidates Debate Follows Dramatic Opener"


This blog post has action shots from the protest.  The blogger states at the end that private organizations are not obliged to be democratic, however the Chamber has a social responsibility to the community to respect the rights of the voters to be well-informed and the Charter rights of the candidates as its debate is the main debate in the riding.


http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/elections/article/1109504--candidates-square-off-at-chamber-debate


"Candidates square off at chamber debate

Pre-start interruption by uninvited candidates"


Niagara This Week's coverage was on page 3, with photos from the debate including the protest.

http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3302944
"Hudak won't show for key local election debate

Should party leaders be expected to show up for their local debates?"


Niagara Falls Review covers a debate cancellation in Hudak's riding, and at the end also references the St. Catharines-Thorold Chamber of Commerce debate protest.

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