A ruling to reinstate the Chestermere-Strathmore Constituency Association (CA) board was a “ridiculous” decision by a “kangaroo court,” claimed the now-ousted board president..“I think this is absolutely unacceptable, kills the democratic process and undermines honest volunteers such as ours,” wrote Nick Boots in one of two leaked emails..“As I have alluded to earlier, the Arbitration ‘Fabrication’ Committee was not favorable to us,” wrote Boots in one March 29 email to several UCP officials..Citing a technicality —the proper 21-day notice of the meeting was a day short — a three-member dispute resolution panel reversed the results of a January 8 annual general meeting (AGM) vote Tuesday..It determined that another AGM will be held July 30..“Obviously we’re not happy as a board,” said Boots told the Western Standard Thursday..Boots confirmed he penned the email to UCP officials and another scathing email to Dispute Resolution Panel Chair Thomas Kent..“This is ridiculous. Why you decided to punish the ‘innocent victims’ then forgo the party’s suggestion and move the date of the repeated AGM to July 30, is beyond my understanding,” wrote Boots in the email to Kent..“My only reasoning is that you are either biased or absolutely inadequate at your job and that this kangaroo court is a sham.”.Boots accused Kent of “setting a stupefying precedent that endangers the status” of all AGMs held over the past year..“As a party member, I have no idea how you can look other members in the eyes without shame and apology.”.“Perhaps the NDP party would be a better fit for a professional of your stature.”.Members of MLA Leela Aheer’s CA board filed a dispute notice after 17 of 22 members were voted out and replaced by supporters backing Premier Jason Kenney..The formal dispute notice requested the old board be reinstated and AGM voting results be declared void..Several allegations of wrongdoing cited in the notice — which include discrepancies in the voter list — would have occurred in violation of the UCP’s governance bylaws..The panel focused on the missed deadline..“We will abide by their decision, and we will all move forward to be happy, friendly UCP members together,” said reinstated CA president John Kittler..He said wasn’t impressed with the way Boots lashed out at Kent..“What he did was reprehensible. In any business that would be a career-limiting move. Does this kid not know that people deserve respect?”.“Mr. Boots with his childish yelling at the judge and his ranting, has paved the way for me to take the high road on this. I appreciate the efforts the panel put into this.”.“We have to have another AGM. That allows Nick Boots and his campaign team to marshal enough support to take the board over again if they want. But it also lets us do the same thing.”.UCP Executive Director Dustin Van Vugt had thanked Boots for his “hard work” when notifying him of the decision..“They (the panel) have found, as we had asserted, that there was absolutely no wrongdoing on the part of the current elected Chestermere Strathmore Constituency Association. In fact, your Board and the volunteers were described as ‘innocent victims’ in the process,” wrote van Vugt in a letter to Boots..Complaints of voting irregularities and bylaw infractions at AGMs were also made by turfed board members in MLA Jordan Walker’s Sherwood Park constituency, and UCP House Leader Jason Nixon’s Rimbey-Rocky Mountain View-Sundre constituency..Those new boards comprised of Kenney supporters remain intact..Kenney is facing a leadership review rife with controversy since the UCP changed the April 9 special general meeting to an online event and decided on mail-in rather than in-person voting..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
A ruling to reinstate the Chestermere-Strathmore Constituency Association (CA) board was a “ridiculous” decision by a “kangaroo court,” claimed the now-ousted board president..“I think this is absolutely unacceptable, kills the democratic process and undermines honest volunteers such as ours,” wrote Nick Boots in one of two leaked emails..“As I have alluded to earlier, the Arbitration ‘Fabrication’ Committee was not favorable to us,” wrote Boots in one March 29 email to several UCP officials..Citing a technicality —the proper 21-day notice of the meeting was a day short — a three-member dispute resolution panel reversed the results of a January 8 annual general meeting (AGM) vote Tuesday..It determined that another AGM will be held July 30..“Obviously we’re not happy as a board,” said Boots told the Western Standard Thursday..Boots confirmed he penned the email to UCP officials and another scathing email to Dispute Resolution Panel Chair Thomas Kent..“This is ridiculous. Why you decided to punish the ‘innocent victims’ then forgo the party’s suggestion and move the date of the repeated AGM to July 30, is beyond my understanding,” wrote Boots in the email to Kent..“My only reasoning is that you are either biased or absolutely inadequate at your job and that this kangaroo court is a sham.”.Boots accused Kent of “setting a stupefying precedent that endangers the status” of all AGMs held over the past year..“As a party member, I have no idea how you can look other members in the eyes without shame and apology.”.“Perhaps the NDP party would be a better fit for a professional of your stature.”.Members of MLA Leela Aheer’s CA board filed a dispute notice after 17 of 22 members were voted out and replaced by supporters backing Premier Jason Kenney..The formal dispute notice requested the old board be reinstated and AGM voting results be declared void..Several allegations of wrongdoing cited in the notice — which include discrepancies in the voter list — would have occurred in violation of the UCP’s governance bylaws..The panel focused on the missed deadline..“We will abide by their decision, and we will all move forward to be happy, friendly UCP members together,” said reinstated CA president John Kittler..He said wasn’t impressed with the way Boots lashed out at Kent..“What he did was reprehensible. In any business that would be a career-limiting move. Does this kid not know that people deserve respect?”.“Mr. Boots with his childish yelling at the judge and his ranting, has paved the way for me to take the high road on this. I appreciate the efforts the panel put into this.”.“We have to have another AGM. That allows Nick Boots and his campaign team to marshal enough support to take the board over again if they want. But it also lets us do the same thing.”.UCP Executive Director Dustin Van Vugt had thanked Boots for his “hard work” when notifying him of the decision..“They (the panel) have found, as we had asserted, that there was absolutely no wrongdoing on the part of the current elected Chestermere Strathmore Constituency Association. In fact, your Board and the volunteers were described as ‘innocent victims’ in the process,” wrote van Vugt in a letter to Boots..Complaints of voting irregularities and bylaw infractions at AGMs were also made by turfed board members in MLA Jordan Walker’s Sherwood Park constituency, and UCP House Leader Jason Nixon’s Rimbey-Rocky Mountain View-Sundre constituency..Those new boards comprised of Kenney supporters remain intact..Kenney is facing a leadership review rife with controversy since the UCP changed the April 9 special general meeting to an online event and decided on mail-in rather than in-person voting..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
