The new rules represent a compromise between those who wanted fully open nominations controlled entirely at the riding level, and party headquarters, which wants the power to hold back ridings for high-profile candidates.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Conservative MPs no longer have a lock on running in the next election under new rules adopted by the party’s national council.
Two party sources told The Globe and Mail the new rules allow a majority of party members in a riding to force an incumbent MP into a nomination race in minority Parliament situations.
In a majority Parliament, all MPs will have to contest a nomination.
The rules also codify the ability of the party leader to appoint candidates in a maximum of eight ridings that do not already have an MP, the sources said.
The Globe is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to publicly disclose national council decisions.
The new rules, adopted Friday, flow from months of frustration at the riding level about how the party ran nominations for the last election campaign.
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Complaints ranged from the party taking too long to fill open spots to not being transparent enough about whom it disqualified and why.
Complaints ranged from the party taking too long to fill open spots to not being transparent enough about whom it disqualified and why.
The two sources said the new rules represent a compromise between those who wanted fully open nominations, controlled entirely at the riding level, and party headquarters, which wants the power to hold back ridings for high-profile candidates.
Party spokesperson Sarah Fischer declined to comment on the new rules, saying they would be communicated to members in due course.
MPs were expecting to get an update at this Wednesday’s caucus meeting, the last before Parliament breaks for the winter holiday.
Previously, sitting MPs were protected from nominations provided they or their riding association raised $15,000 and they donated the maximum amount to the party and to their riding association in a specific time period.
And though the previous nomination rules did not explicitly give the party leader the ability to hand-pick candidates, in practice the national council – and the leader – could appoint whomever they liked.
Current party leader Pierre Poilievre faces a leadership review at the party’s January convention after failing to form government in the spring vote.
He also lost his own seat in the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton and had to run in an Alberta by-election, which he won.
Though he said “no” recently when asked if he needs to change his leadership style, he has been under pressure from party members to change how the party itself is run.
Some of the nomination changes approved by the national council mirror proposals expected to be voted on by members in January.
Several riding associations are putting forward proposed amendments to the party’s constitution to enshrine a new approach to the nomination process.