Troubled past for Tory candidate

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This article was published 31/03/2011 (5551 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MONTREAL — A Conservative candidate once castigated in court for writing bad cheques hosted a rally with Prime Minister Stephen Harper Wednesday, a week after the party dumped another candidate over past financial woes.

Agop Evereklian, the Tory candidate in a Montreal-area riding, lost a case in Quebec civil court in 2005 while his business was going bankrupt and was ordered to pay back $29,632.

Evereklian has run for the Tories in two straight campaigns even though the party’s vetting procedure asks candidates for any past financial and legal problems.

He declined to answer any questions when approached by The Canadian Press at the rally. The prime minister’s entourage, meanwhile, has said it will not comment on issues with local campaigns.

This is one week after B.C. candidate Dale Saip was dumped by the party following reports he had declared bankruptcy in 1993 with debts of $340,000; he had informed the party of his financial past.

Greens threaten to sue

VANCOUVER — Green party Leader Elizabeth May blamed the prime minister and “media elites” Wednesday for trying to silence her in the upcoming leaders’ TV debates.

May said the party is considering legal action.

“This is not just a distraction, it verges on sabotage by national media elites who’ve decided that the Greens don’t matter,” she said.

She said there may not be much time to go to the courts against the five broadcast stations that made the decision.

May said she thought her participation in the debate was solidified in 2008, when she participated for the first time and saw her party’s and the TV event’s ratings soar.

Sources said the consortium is proposing two debates: one in English on April 12 and another in French on April 14.

The negotiations took place as Harper and Ignatieff were challenging each other, through Twitter, to a one-on-one debate.

NDP candidate backs Grit

BRAMPTON, Ont. — The NDP campaign has hit a snag. One of the party’s candidates in London, Ont., pulled out on Wednesday to support his Liberal opponent — undermining a central part of the NDP campaign strategy.

Ryan Dolby stunned officials by announcing he will support Liberal Graham Warwick in Elgin-Middlesex-London. He says he doesn’t want to split the vote and allow Tory Joe Preston to win.

The move took both the NDP and Liberals by surprise. The Liberals were happy but NDP Leader Jack Layton said the party will have another candidate in place within 48 hours.

Layton has encouraged voters to think strategically to defeat Harper. The pitch makes sense in Saskatchewan, Alberta and parts of B.C., where the NDP has placed a strong second in ridings that have elected Conservatives. But in Ontario, the Liberals tend to dominate that second-place spot in Tory-held ridings.

On Wednesday, the NDP pledged to dedicate $2.3 billion to a job-creation plan.

Harper firm on F-35 cost

OTTAWA — Stephen Harper says he stands by his cost estimate for the F-35 stealth fighters.

The prime minister made the declaration Wednesday, even though the Pentagon’s latest estimate for the version of the fighter jet Canada intends to buy is double what the Conservative government projected.

In defending the $9-billion price, Canada’s Defence Department has said it will pay between US$70 million and US$75 million for each aircraft.

The Pentagon projected it will pay $151 million for each aircraft for the F-35A, the basic version of the fighter bomber.

Harper says there are cost increases in the U.S. program that have no impact on Canada.

The Liberals have vowed to cancel the purchase.

— The Canadian Press