Thursday, April 30, 2015
Lego Store detains 11-year-old boy for shopping without an adult.
Father shocked, but Calgary store stands by its age policy for 'safety'
reasons.
Tadhg Dunlop brings home a past purchase from the Calgary Lego Store. (Doug Dunlop)
A Calgary father says he is shocked his 11-year-old son was detained by a security guard at the Chinook Centre Lego Store because the boy was shopping alone.
Doug Dunlop's son, Tadhg (pronounced Tige), had $200 of his own money on Sunday and was looking to add to his vast Lego collection.
Dunlop says he bicycled most of the way to the mall with Tadhg, leaving him to shop at the Lego store. The two planned to meet later at the mall for lunch.
In the store, Tadhg was asked his age.
After he told the store manager he was 11½, a security guard was called and the boy was asked to stay in a certain area until his father arrived.
It turns out Lego has a rule that children under 12 should not be left unattended in its stores.
The boy had shopped at the store alone many times without incident, said his father, and had spent thousands of dollars there — he earned the money shovelling snow and babysitting.
Tadhg had even been asked his age before on several occasions, and the store employees would joke that it wouldn't be long before he could work there.
Dunlop was upset to discover his son had been detained in the store.
"I was, of course, shocked," he said.
When he walked into the store, he thought that Tadhg might have knocked over a display, but not that he had done anything wrong, said Dunlop.
"Why would you detain a good customer? It's bad business."
'Utmost concern is for child safety'
The store policy was not visible inside the store at the time. But Dunlop, who posted his letter to Lego in a blog about the incident, asked the store manager why the policy existed. The store manager cited safety concerns such as child predators or the possibility of an evacuation from the mall.
Doug Dunlop wants an apology from the Lego Store for detaining his son. (Doug Dunlop)
Dunlop said he was called a "bad parent" while questioning the store manager and the security guard about the policy.
As of Wednesday, the store has posted a sign in the window that reads: "To ensure that your child has a safe and enjoyable experience in our store, please do not leave them unattended."
Amanda Santoro, a Lego brand relations manager, told CBC News in an email the company stands by the policy.
"As a toy company, our utmost concern is for children's safety, and as such we have a policy in place regarding unaccompanied minors. As this customer was under the age of 12 and alone, we followed our protocol and stand by our policy."
Dad calls policy 'age discrimination'
In a lengthy letter to Lego, Dunlop says he wants an apology from the store for detaining his son and for being called a "bad parent" by letting him shop alone.
Now the Dunlops say they will never shop in the Calgary Lego store again.
"My son loves Lego. It's his favourite store," he said. "This policy doesn't make sense; it's arbitrary age discrimination where they decided that children under 12 are inconvenient."
Tadhg has also been telling his friends about the incident, said Dunlop. "And they are incensed. Being 11 years old is not a crime."
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Bigval Jokotoye – Actor With A Distinct.
With his mum, Mrs Jokotoye
On 11th of May 2001, he lost his dad Pastor Jokotoye
Late Pastor Jokotoye
Attend Ilofa Grammer School in Kwara State before proceeding to College of Aviation Studies.
At his Alma Mater, Ilofa Gram. School.
He is a full time actor and production manager.
Renters trash family home in Calgary
Photo: Contributed - CTV Calgary
A Calgary family's home is in ruins after it was rented out last weekend through Airbnb, an online accommodation rental company.
A Calgary family's home is in ruins after it was rented out last weekend through Airbnb, an online accommodation rental company.
The owners were told four people would be staying in the house to attend a wedding.
But neighbours said a party bus pulled up to the house, and throughout the weekend police got several calls about noise and a fight.
On Monday, the homeowners came home and allowed police in for the first time.
Const. Attila Horvath said there was broken glass, ketchup, mustard and barbecue sauce, vomit and urine all over the floors and walls, couches and tables broken, cushions burned and cut, towel racks pulled right out of the wall.
He estimates damage at up to $75,000.
“I couldn’t believe that somebody could do that in three days, to another person’s home,” he said. “It was just unreal, I couldn’t believe it.”
Early Monday, police answered a call about a noise complaint, but found nothing on arrival and returned after a report of a fight in front of the house.
When they came a second time, the altercation was over but those involved were unco-operative.
Once the homeowner arrived and asked those inside to leave, Horvath said at least 15 to 20 were seen walking out of the home.
He added their next step is to speak with the man whose name is on the lease for renting the home, who they are calling a person of interest.
Police have consulted with the Crown and say whoever is responsible could face a charge of mischief to property over $5,000.
Non-permanent residents are force in Canadian economy: CIBC.
CIBC finds growing TFW and student demographic could affect housing market, consumer spending
Non-permanent residents have helped drive the housing markets in Ontario and B.C., says CIBC.
Non-permanent residents make up an increasing number of the under-45 generation in Canada, more than doubling to 770,000 in the past decade, according to a CIBC study.
That means they are a substantial demographic force and have an impact on housing activity and consumer spending, particularly in Ontario and British Columbia. In total, there are 450,000 more non-permanent residents in Canada now than there were 10 years ago.
CIBC found almost half these people are temporary foreign workers, or workers on contracts, an increase of 10 percentage points in the past 10 years.
About 38 per cent are students, a five-percentage-point increase, but the number of refugee claimants waiting for word on their status in Canada is making up a smaller percentage of the group, at 12.2 per cent.
"Unlike immigrants, the TFWs don't have a predictable impact," said Benjamin Tal, CIBC economist and author of the report.
He said many of people in this cohort of 384,200 non-permanent workers are in middle-income and professional jobs, and have every expectation of gaining status to remain in Canada.
That means they are boosting demand for rental properties and contributing to overall retail spending like other middle-income Canadians. Some are even taking the plunge into the housing market, despite their temporary status.
Because almost 95 per cent of these people are under age 45, they make up an important demographic of young workers, helping counteract the decline in the number of Canadian-born people in that age group.
Large numbers in Ontario, B.C.
The most powerful demographic and economic impact is not in the tight labour markets of Alberta and Saskatchewan, but in British Columbia and Ontario, Tal found.
The number of non-permanent residents tripled in Ontario between 2006 and 2013. If those people hadn't arrived, the province would have lost 120,000 people in the important cohort that is forming households and powering economies.
In B.C., the number in the 25-44 age group would have been flat if the non-permanent residents total hadn't doubled.
"It is not a coincidence that those two provinces are also the ones to experience long-lasting strong housing market activity," Tal said in his analysis.
The implication is that any new federal policies to alter the status of TFWs should take into account their importance as spenders in the Canadian economy.
"The main issue is to take into account the economic impact of such large numbers. The number is big enough to change the trajectory," Tal said.
He said the 2013 numbers, which he drew from Statistics Canada, may underestimate the number of non-permanent residents in Canada compared to more recent figures from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
He points to a 14 per cent growth in new permits for TFWs and nine per cent growth in extensions in 2014. There is very little evidence such workers are returning to their home countries, he said.
Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon Finalize Second Divorce, Apologize for 'Hurtful Comments'
Pamela Andersonand Rick Salomon have officially ended their second marriage.
The stars, both 47, finalized their divorce Monday and released a joint statement Wednesday.
The stars, both 47, finalized their divorce Monday and released a joint statement Wednesday.
Rick Salomon and Pamela Anderson on their wedding day
"Public divorces can be harsh and cruel – we apologize to our families and friends for any hurt and embarrassment we have caused – we have come to an amicable agreement and are moving on," the couple said. "There are private and personal family sensitivities to consider and we retract any hurtful comments made in haste and distaste. We wish each other and our families well."
Salomon will pay Anderson about $1 million in the settlement, according to TMZ.
The former Baywatch beauty filed for divorce from Salomon in February, citing irreconcilable differences.
Following the court filing, the former couple's relationship grew increasingly strained. Anderson secured an extension to her March 13 temporary restraining order against Salomon in early April.
In the initial March restraining order, obtained by PEOPLE, Anderson alleged that the poker player was abusive and wrote that she was "scared of what he is capable of doing to me."
Anderson, 47, filed several harassing emails and text messages from Salomon with her first order, including one that called her a "serial baby killer with her husbands."
Anderson later spoke out against her ex-husband's vices comments in a statement from her rep. "His claims about Ms. Anderson are ridiculous and do not dignify a response," her rep said in March.
This most recent marriage was the second for the couple, who first tied the knot in 2007. The marriage was annulled only two months after the wedding.
They were wed again in January 2014, but six months later Anderson filed for divorce. She later petitioned to have her initial divorce filing dismissed in August of last year.
Following the court filing, the former couple's relationship grew increasingly strained. Anderson secured an extension to her March 13 temporary restraining order against Salomon in early April.
In the initial March restraining order, obtained by PEOPLE, Anderson alleged that the poker player was abusive and wrote that she was "scared of what he is capable of doing to me."
Anderson, 47, filed several harassing emails and text messages from Salomon with her first order, including one that called her a "serial baby killer with her husbands."
Anderson later spoke out against her ex-husband's vices comments in a statement from her rep. "His claims about Ms. Anderson are ridiculous and do not dignify a response," her rep said in March.
This most recent marriage was the second for the couple, who first tied the knot in 2007. The marriage was annulled only two months after the wedding.
They were wed again in January 2014, but six months later Anderson filed for divorce. She later petitioned to have her initial divorce filing dismissed in August of last year.
Ogun State Man Seeks Divorce Due to
Wife’s Inability to Conceive
An Abeokuta Customary Court sitting in Ake on Wednesday dissolved a three-year-old marriage between Femi and wife, Kemi, due to the absence of vagina, deceit and frequent fighting. Femi told the court that his wife deceived him to marry her knowing that she could not bear him a child.
He accused his wife, who had failed to appear in court after being summoned several times, of living a false life, frequent fighting and threatening his life.
“My wife had been deceiving me since we got married I have never seen her pass through menstruation. My wife does not have any vagina opening. Anytime I ask her for sex, she would give an excuse to back up her refusal. Meanwhile, we have been praying to God to give us children.
My wife did not tell me anything about her condition before we got married, until February this year that she confessed to me that she had never experienced menstruation in her life. I thought she was lying, so I went to see her parents who told me it was true, and that they thought their daughter explained to me before we got married,” Femi told the court.
He pleaded with the court’s president to dissolve his three-year-old marriage that had nothing to show for both now and in future. The News Agency Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant was absent despite several summons by the court.
The court’s president, Olalekan Akande, dissolved the marriage, saying that both parties had made up their minds to part ways. Akande said that both parties were free to remarry anybody of their choice, adding that the document of the marriage dissolution should be sent to Kemi.
Photo Credit: Dreamstime.com
BIDEMI KOSOKO SPEAKS “IBRAHIM CHATTA IS NOT MY KIND OF MAN”
After the news went viral from a recent publication of City People magazine, romantically linking Bidemi Kosoko to Nollywood Actor, producer and controversial Casanova Ibrahim Chatta. The light skinned daughter of Veteran film maker Jide kosoko has refuted claims that there is no romantic affiliation what so ever between her and the ex-husband of Salamat, the daughter of former governor of Kwara state, Lafiagi.
When the actress was contacted here is what she had to say:
“It is really a funny story, and I am not taking it likely. I have never been close to Ibrahim Chatta. Not in anyway. We only meet on locations for work and I have not really had a working relationship with. I don’t have his contact; he is not on any of my social media platform. So I’m really surprised how the story came about. It was City People Magazine that first broke the story, and immediately I called Seye Kehinde to ask where his source was, he apologized and said he would revert the story. The fact is I respect Ibrahim Chatta, but he is not my kind of man. I see him as a brother and colleague in the industry. I’m not trying to ridicule him in anyway, but I can’t date him. I’m a young lady trying to build a career for myself; i will not do anything to tarnish my image and that of my family. I will not date anyone in the industry that I will not be proud to let the public know.”
It will be recalled that the news went agog recently that Ibrahim Chatta dumped Bidemi Kosoko for Funmi Awelewa an Ibadan based actress.
Suit Seeking To Stop Fayose’s Impeachment Withdrawn.
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on Wednesday withdrew the suit before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja seeking to stop the All Progressive Congress (APC) members in the Ekiti state House of Assembly from impeaching him and his deputy, Kolapo Olusola.
The plaintiffs in the matter, Speaker of the House of Assembly Olugbemi Joseph Dele, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Fayose and Olusola, through their counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), approached the court for an order to halt impeachment moves against the governor.
When the case came up yesterday, counsel to the plaintiffs informed the court of his clients intention to withdraw the case.
The trial judge, consequently struck out the case. The court had at the last adjourned date fixed yesterday for the defendants to come and show cause why the plaintiffs request should not be granted.
A fresh suit has been filed before Justice Evoh Chukwu of the same court.
The fresh suit before Justice Chukwu was filed by seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the House; Dele Olugbemi Joseph, Ajibola Samuel Oyedele, Israel Olowo, Alex Ade Ojo, Adeyinka Adeloye, Adunnsuupe Olayinka and Ayoka Fatunmbi.
Listed as defendants are the Inspector General of Police, Speaker of the Ekiti House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin and 21 APC lawmakers.
Ruling on an ex-parte application brought by the plaintiffs, last Thursday, the Court ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) members in Ekiti House of Assembly to maintain the status quo in their bid to impeach the state governor, Ayodele Fayose.
After ordering the lawmakers to maintain the status quo, the judge summoned them to come and show cause why he should not declare their seat vacant and also set aside all the actions taken so far with respect to the impeachment of Fayose.
The plaintiffs in the suit had asked the court to set aside all actions and activities taken by the APC lawmakers.
According to Justice Chukwu, “It is hereby ordered that the status quo ante bellum as at 23 April, 2014 be maintained pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
The judge also ordered the plaintiffs to issue and serve the originating summons and all other processes in the suit on the defendants in Ekiti State outside the jurisdiction of the court.
The judge further ordered as follows, “That leave is granted to the plaintiffs/applicants to serve the originating summons and all other processes in this suit on the 2nd – 21st defendants by substituted means by advertising same in the newspaper.
“That the service of the Originating Summons and all other processes in this suit on the 2nd to 21st defendants are deemed as proper service.
“That on the application of plaintiffs/applicants’ counsel time is hereby abridged to seven (7) days within which the respondents are to file their processes i.e counter affidavit and written address if any from the date of the publication in the newspaper”.
The case has been adjourned to May 4 for hearing of the motion on notice.
OPC Sacks Founder, Dr Fasheun As President
Dr Fredrick Fasheun
Founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Dr. Fredrick Fasheun, has been overthrown as president of the organisation by a faction of the group led by Comrade Dare Adesope, who has been announced as the new president of the congress.
At a news conference on Tuesday at the congress’ secretariat, Egbe area of Ikotun, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, Adesope said OPC has lost confidence in the leadership of Fasheun who had thrown the organisation into crisis and politics.
He said since the formation of OPC, Fasheun had been in charge of the body without keeping to the vision that led to its formation.
With several members of OPC on his side, Adesope said he has been declared the new president of OPC nationwide and that Fasheun ceased to be the president of the group, but just the founder, stressing that the congress was not established “to run monarchical system of government. How can one person be directing its affairs for 20 consecutive years?”
“Fasheun is no more the president of OPC and he was removed because of his reprehensible act and that it is high time the Yoruba leaders joined forces with the new leadership of the congress to move the region forward.”
He explained that the time had come for all Oodua descendants to embrace the congress, as the Yoruba leaders should not “judge the OPC with the precedent of the past leader,” who was advised, but did not take to the admonition.
Adesope stated that the manner the congress would be managed under the new leadership would be in consonance with the 1999 Constitution and that of the organisation unlike when “we ran autocracy where one person took all the decisions on behalf of the organisation without consulting the National Executive Council.”
He denied allegation that the OPC new leadership was sponsored by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to move against Fasheun.
Adesope, however, congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan for the just concluded general elections and for accepting defeat gallantly, saying this demonstrated the spirit of true sportsmanship that should be emulated by all.
“If it is true that some groups in the Niger Delta are saying he should not come home, we advise him to disregard such threat. If he is not comfortable with them, he is welcome in any part of the South West. I can assure him that OPC will provide him adequate security.”
Adesope also congratulated the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, appealing to him to ensure that he corrects all the mistakes made by the outgoing administration and that all regions in the country enjoy the dividends of democracy; share all national positions fairly; fight corruption; address unemployment with all seriousness and put an end to electricity problem in the country.
National Assembly Spends N600 billion Naira in 4 years.
David Mark, Senate President of Nigeria
Bureaucrats of the National Assembly are keeping sealed lips over the disbursement of the sum of N600 billion, which the legislators spent in the last four years.
Even though the National Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission is supposed to fix the salaries of members, what the members–109 senators and 360 representatives—take home remains one of the closely guarded secrets of the members, leading to various speculations in the media.
A recent attempt by a Nigerian activist group, BudgeIT to break the iron curtain of secrecy was rebuffed by the Legal Services Department of the National Assembly.
BudgetIT had on 14 march written a latter to the National Assembly, requesting a breakdown of the N600 billion that members appropriated to themselves in four years.
The request was made using the Freedom of Information Act, enacted by the Assembly four years ago, with fanfare to encourage transparency and accountability.
But in a response by an acting director of Litigation and Counselling of the Assembly’s legal services department, the request was outrightly rejected.
“Some of the information are personal, third party related and privileged and are all exempted under sections 14 and 15 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011″, said a response by Charles Yoila dated 23 March.
Transgender Canadians can now self-identify on citizenship documents without sex reassignment surgery.
PAT McGRATH, THE OTTAWA CITIZENSex re-assignment surgery is no longer required in order for Canadians to change the gender on their citizenship certificate
Canadians no longer need to undergo sex-reassignment surgery in order to change the gender marker on their citizenship certificate under new reforms from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
As of February, those wishing to change their gender on the certificate need only now submit provincially or territorially-issued documentation such as amended birth certificate.
“This change will give persons who identify themselves as another gender, but have not undergone surgery (or do not plan to), access to an accurate citizenship certificate,” said Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokesperson Bill Brown in an email to National Post.
Previously, it was necessary to submit proof of sex-reassignment surgery, typically involving both “top” (chest) and “bottom” (genital) surgery. Two other identity documents and a statement from a third-person guarantor who knew the person before and after surgery were also required.
The move puts the federal requirements more in line with provinces, where change is swiftly spreading across the country. Currently, Ontario, B.C., Alberta and Manitoba have removed sex-reassignment surgery as a requirement for changing gender on provincial documents like birth certificates. Other provinces and territories, like Nova Scotia, have introduced legislation to change their requirements as well.
The move from the federal government came as a surprise to Ryan Dyck, the director of research, policy and development at Egale Canada, an LGBT advocacy organization. He, like several others on social media, only became aware of the changes by a note on the Citizenship and Immigration website saying new instructions were coming “spring or early summer 2015.” According to Brown, however, those changes are already in place.
The right to self-identify is paramount
“I haven’t heard from anyone else yet who has picked up on the change, nor have I heard of any sort of consultation process regarding the change in requirements, which has been common practice among other governments that have made similar changes in the past,” said Dyck.
Lack of consultation aside, Dyck said the move is a welcome change for transgender Canadians who have not been able to obtain, or do not want to obtain, sex-reassignment surgery.
“The right to self-identify is paramount,” said Dyck.
“Courts and tribunals are coming to the ruling that every person has a right to define their own gender identity that is independent of what their physical body looks like and what kind of transition they’ve gone through.”
For many transgender Canadians, finding a doctor able to provide competent care can be a challenge. For those seeking reassignment surgery, it can be a time-consuming and costly affair and the exact legal requirements for a complete transition can be hazy.
Prior to the change, Dyck said, “You were required to have undergone sex-reassignment surgery which is not typically very well-defined or defined at all. It kind of depends on the agent who’s processing your claim and the doctor who’s performing surgery or writing your letter to decide whether they think it’s sufficient enough.”
A 2012 survey of transgender Ontarians by Trans PULSE found that of 253 individuals living full-time as their self-identified gender, only 22 per cent had changed the gender marker on all their identification. And while 56.6 per cent had changed the gender on their Ontario driver’s license, only 14.7 per cent had made the change to their citizenship certificate.
Given statistics that show transgender people face higher rates of assault, harassment and housing and employment discrimination, Dyck said it’s “quite critical” that Canadians are able to have their official identification match their lived identities.
“The government is committed to ensuring all Canadians have access to a citizenship document that accurately reflects their personal information,” said Brown.
“For this reason, it is important that Canada’s citizenship policy allows applicants to change their sex designation on their citizenship certificate.”
Jonathan Denis appears in Calgary courtroom with estranged wife.
'My client looks forward to having this matter resolved,' says lawyer of
former justice minister.
Premier Jim Prentice announced last weekend that Jonathan Denis resigned from his role as Alberta's justice minister following "legal proceedings." (CBC)
Jonathan Denis, who recently resigned as Alberta's justice minister, appeared in a Calgary courtroom today with his estranged wife for another in-camera hearing.
A court order was granted by a provincial court judge but the details remain protected by a publication ban.
After meeting behind closed doors for about two hours today, Denis' lawyer Jeff Wise stopped briefly outside the courthouse to address the media.
"My client looks forward to having this matter resolved," said Wise.
Denis was forced to resign as justice minister after the premier learned of his cabinet minister's "court action involving a private family matter."
Sources tell CBC News that Calgary police were called to the couple's home earlier this month.
No charges were laid. Denis remains the PC candidate in Calgary-Acadia.
Tory civil war erupts as rejected candidate leaks texts from party.
Clockwise from upper left: PC leader Jim Prentice, Independent MLA candidate Jamie Lall, PC MLA candidate and former justice minister Jonathan Denis, PC executive director Kelley Charlebois.
The Progressive Conservative party had their dirty laundry aired a week before the provincial election, with accusations and counter-claims flying among a blocked candidate, the party’s executive director and a former cabinet minister Tuesday.
Texts released by Jamie Lall — who in March was barred by the Tory’s nominating committee from running in Chestermere-Rocky View — suggested the party had been trying to push him out of the nomination race well before then, with then-Justice Minister Jonathan Denis telling Lall that he was “being set up.”
While Lall, now running as an Independent, insisted he was never told by the party why he was disallowed, it was revealed later Tuesday he had been subject to a restraining order from an ex-girlfriend in 2007, which the party says was the reason for his disqualification.
For Tory Leader Jim Prentice — embroiled in a tough fight with the Wildrose Party and NDP ahead of the May 5 election — the issues are an unwanted distraction, but he insisted the party acted properly in all circumstances.
“The nominating committee made the decision that someone with this as part of their history was not appropriate as a candidate for the Progressive Conservative party,” Prentice said in an interview.
“The facts are now clear to people and I think it helps people understand.”
At the end of March, the 30-year-old Lall was blocked by the party from running in Chestermere-Rocky View for undisclosed reasons, leaving former Wildrose MLA Bruce McAllister to be acclaimed in the riding.
In a restraining order from December 2007 obtained by the Herald, Lall’s ex-girlfriend wrote “he has not stopped harassing me since we have broken up and stopped talking in Feb. 2007.”
“He is extremely verbally abusive towards me and my family … the respondent has threatened me and my family and has shown to be aggressive and short-tempered. He is incredibly unstable and I am scared because I have no idea what he wants or will do next,” states the restraining order application.
Lall confirmed the order was put in place, but said he is now close friends with the woman and that she spoke to the PC party’s private investigator about it earlier this year.
“We were young, she embellished it. She explained it all to him,” said Lall, who runs a non-profit agency.
The woman told the Herald she is “diplomatically civil” with Lall and “has no current issues with what has happened in the past.” She would not comment on Lall’s suggestion she had embellished the matter or whether he should be allowed to run.
Lall insists he not only disclosed the order during the party’s vetting process this year, but also when he was appointed the PC candidate in Calgary-Buffalo in 2012, where he lost to Liberal Kent Hehr.
But PC party executive director Kelley Charlebois said the restraining order was at the root of the party’s rejection of Lall in March, asserting that the would-be candidate had not revealed it to the party during its review process.
“He did not disclose anything like this,” Charlebois said in an interview, adding the would-be candidate was told exactly the reasons why he was barred.
“We had a half-hour long conversation. As part of that conversation, I expressed to him my extreme disappointment he had not come clean about this.”
Lall’s rejection came hours after three Wildrose defectors — including Danielle Smith — were defeated in their attempts to win PC party nominations. Lall has raised concerns he was blocked because the party wanted to protect McAllister.
Texts released by Lall indicate he had earlier discussions with the PC executive director about withdrawing from the race.
On Jan. 31, Charlebois texted Lall, saying: “We need to chat … don’t want you in Chestermere.”
In Feb. 17 texts, Lall complained about being undercut, writing that his supporters had been told “a vote for me is a vote against the party.”
“It is dirty … I think it has more to do with the person you are running against then (sic) you,” Charlebois replied.
On Tuesday, Charlebois said the PC party was trying to discourage challenges against all incumbents — not just McAllister — because the spring election was imminent.
Lall also released texts between himself and then justice minister Jonathan Denis, who was his friend.
On March 14, after Lall told Denis that he was being reviewed by a private investigator hired by the party, the cabinet minister urged him to hire a lawyer and not speak to the investigator.
“They’re trying to dq (disqualify) you,” Denis wrote.
Denis — forced to resign this week as justice minister over an unrelated court action with his estranged wife — told Lall that the party’s assertion that it used investigators on all candidates was “BS. BS. BS.”
“Buddy you are being set up,” Denis wrote. “They’re playing you for a dumb kid.”
Denis declined to comment to the media on Tuesday.
Alberta PC leader Jim Prentice speaks during an election campaign stop at The Plains Fabrication manufacturing plant in Calgary on Tuesday.
The bizarre episode reverberated back to the campaign trail on Tuesday, with Wildrose Leader Brian Jean saying Prentice needs to come clean about the Lall situation.
“After 44 years in power, no one should be surprised to hear allegations about a PC party that intentionally undermined one of their volunteers and candidates,” Jean said in a statement.
NDP Leader Rachel Notley declined to comment.
“You know, as fun as that kind of stuff is, I think I’m going to let Jim Prentice focus on the less-than-positive discussions within his party and I’m going to focus more on talking to Albertans.”
Source: Canadian Press
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