Craig Chandler
Encyclopedia
Craig B. Chandler is a Canadian
businessman, pundit, and political and religious activist. He is a co-founder and executive director of the Progressive Group for Independent Business
. He was a candidate at the 2003 Progressive Conservative leadership convention
and has also been a candidate for Member of Parliament
in Ontario and Member of the Legislative Assembly
in Alberta.
in Hamilton, Ontario
in the late 1980s, Chandler joined the Reform Party of Canada
, where he was active as an organizer and fund-raiser. In the 1993 federal election
, Chandler ran as a Reform Party candidate in the riding of Hamilton Mountain
, finishing in a distant second place with 10,297 votes, behind Liberal
incumbent Beth Phinney
, who received 27,218.
Chandler moved to Alberta in 1995. He ran in the 1997 provincial election
as a candidate for the Social Credit Party of Alberta
in the riding of Calgary West
, finishing with 1,100 votes, or 7.5% of the electorate. He later rejoined the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and endorsed United Alternative candidate Brian Pallister
in the party's 1998 Progressive Conservative leadership convention.
In 2000, Chandler's PGIB supported the creation of the Canadian Alliance
. In 2002, Chandler and the PGIB backed Stephen Harper
's successful bid for the leadership of the Alliance.
and became a candidate for the party's leadership
, running on a platform of creating a coalition between the PC and Alliance party caucuses. He withdrew prior to voting and endorsed Calgary lawyer Jim Prentice
, who also supported cooperation between the parties.
James Muldoon, a fundraiser for front runner Peter MacKay
, described Chandler as "the true black face of neoconservatism. He could live to be 100 and he'll never know the meaning of, I am my brother's keeper." Chandler's statements were called "bitter and resentful" by MacKay, whom Chandler criticized for supporting of the passage of Criminal Code of Canada
amendment Bill C-250 that added homosexuals
to the list of groups protected by hate crimes legislation. Chandler suggested that the amendment would lead to the banning of the Bible
and other religious texts in schools and public libraries. Chandler complimented Tory MP Elsie Wayne
on what he described as her "honest statements" about homosexuals, suggesting that no one has to apologize for having an opinion, even if it is not politically correct
. This section of his twenty minute speech was booed by many delegates.
Chandler also called for a formal union of the PC and CA parties, advocating an electoral coalition between the two parties that would eventually lead to a merger. Chandler proposed that:
At the end of his speech Chandler was complimentary of the leadership qualities of his competitors David Orchard
and Scott Brison
, before endorsing and pledging support to Calgary
lawyer Jim Prentice's leadership bid to the astonishment of many delegates in attendance.
Chandler has claimed that he was asked to run for the leadership of the PC Party by Stephen Harper, at that time leader of the Canadian Alliance and Leader of the Official Opposition.
With the exception of statements in one debate on CPAC where he openly apologized to the citizens of the United States
for the Government of Canada
's unwillingness to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq
, his candidacy was largely ignored by the media until the last days of the campaign. Chandler admitted in the Globe and Mail and the National Post
(May 29, 2003) that he had never tried to seriously contest the leadership of the PC Party, but had instead served as a voice for the Progressive Group for Independent Business and their United Alternative efforts. PGIB donated $250,000 to Chandler's bid.
, and during the March 2005 Conservative Party of Canada
policy convention in Montreal. Both times he criticized Tory leader Stephen Harper
's ambiguous position on freedom of speech
for evangelical Christians, same-sex marriage
, and civil union
rights for common-law couples. Chandler also suggested that he resented Harper's attempts to "shut-up" socially conservative MPs.
In 1997, Chandler established a religious lobby group Concerned Christians Canada Inc. to rally support for Evangelical
candidates, MPs and causes. Chandler's present connections to this group are unknown.
In February 2005, Chandler suggested on CBC Newsworld
that he would be campaigning for the Conservative Party nomination in the next election in the riding of Calgary North Centre, then represented by Conservative MP Jim Prentice. This choice of riding was believed to be motivated by Prentice's continuing votes supporting same-sex marriage in Canada
and, presumably, Chandler's opposition to this legislation. A contest for the nomination was precluded when the March CPC Policy Convention in Montreal voted in favour of allowing sitting Tory MPs to gain their nominations uncontested in minority government scenarios, where elections are less predictable.
Chandler wrote a controversial pre-Tory convention article for the March 15, 2005 issue of the Globe and Mail newspaper in which he criticized pro same-sex marriage MP Belinda Stronach
, then a Conservative, as "a well-known liberal
who has successfully infiltrated the new Conservative Party of Canada." He reiterated his statements on Stronach in a 2005 cover article on Belinda Stronach in Maclean's Magazine.
Stronach later crossed the floor
to the Liberal Party of Canada
. In an interview on the program CBC News: The Hour
with host George Stroumboulopoulos
, Chandler suggested that Stronach's discomfort with the new Tory party's policies was a sign that the new Conservatives would not be "just another liberal party," and that her defection was "a victory for family values
supporters".
In the fall of 2007, Chandler sought the Progressive Conservative nomination of Calgary-Egmont for the up-coming Alberta provincial election. Soon after winning the contest, however, Premier Stelmach and the Alberta Conservative Party's executive reviewed Chandler's candidacy. One concern was Chandler's association with a conservative Christian organization (the Concerned Christian Coalition), a group vocally opposed to homosexuality and gay rights. Chandler had been CEO of the organization when a letter was published in the Red Deer Advocate in 2002 by a member of that organization (Stephen Boissoin). In that letter ("Homosexual Agenda Wicked") Boisson suggested that homosexuals were as immoral as pedophiles, drug dealers and pimps, and that gay activists were "perverse, morally deprived individuals who are spreading their psychological disease". After numerous complaints the matter was referred to the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC). During the Commission's hearing in July 2007 Boissoin testified that Chandler was aware of the letter and supported him. On November 30, 2007, the AHRC ruled that the letter broke provincial human rights law and exposed gays to hatred and contempt. In the 81-page decision, Lori Andreachuk of the AHRC wrote "In my view, it is clear that the letter expresses hatred or contempt for a group of persons on the basis of their sexual preference".
Prior to the decision and as part of a settlement with the CHRC (not AHRC since websites are under Federal jurisdiction), Chandler agreed to remove the letter from websites he controlled and further agreed to "cease and desist" from posting messages on the internet stating that homosexuals conspire against society, are sick, diseased or mentally ill, and want to have sex with children. As part of the settlement with the AHRC, Chandler was required to post a formal apology on his website as well as the terms of the settlement. In December 2009, the ruling was overturned in Lund v. Boissoin
on free speech grounds.
On December 1, 2007, during a closed meeting of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party's forty member executive, chaired by Premier Stelmach, Chandler spent two hours outlining why his nomination for the provincial riding of Calgary-Egmont should be endorsed. The executive voted not to endorse Chandler's candidacy, with Premier Stelmach subsequently stating that having Chandler stand in the riding was "not in the best interests of the party". "I have always been a strong believer in human rights" said the premier. Chandler responded the same day by quitting the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party, stating "I'm not going to belong to a party that doesn't want me."
In the 2008 Alberta election held on March 3, Chandler ran as an independent candidate in the Calgary-Egmont riding against Jonathan Denis, his replacement as the Tory candidate, and Liberal Cathie Williams. Chandler was widely expected to run as a candidate for the new Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta
but was defeated in his attempt to win election to the new party's board of directors. In the provincial election Chandler finished in third place with 2008 votes (16.2%), well behind Cathie Williams, the Liberal Party candidate, with 3289 votes (26.5%). The Progressive Conservative candidate (Jonathan Denis) won with 43.6% of the vote (5415 votes). " Chandler has spent an estimated $150,000 in his candidacy for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
but the final campaign return indicated he had only spent $13,045.
In November 2004 during the 2004 Alberta election
, Craig Chandler managed the campaign of David Crutcher
, an Alberta Alliance Party
candidate in Calgary-Egmont. Crutcher was not elected, winning 1,657 votes, or 14% of the total. Notably, David Crutcher received more votes than any other Alliance candidate in an urban riding. In 2005, David Crutcher
ran for the leadership of the Alberta Alliance
and Chandler managed his leadership campaign. Crutcher placed third out of four candidates. He was also the campaign manager for Calgary Ward 14 winning alderman Peter Demong, and now serves as his constituency assistant.
Chandler also managed the successful campaign of MLA Art Johnston.
television's The Lens (February 2006) program. In the documentary, Chandler and Dylan Crozier, a gay pastor from Vancouver, each spent a week walking in the other person's shoes.
Chandler is the host of a Calgary radio show called Freedom Radio Network (the "FRN" on CHRB-AM Calgary). In August 2006 a complaint was received by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council about Chandler's radio program, alleging, among other things, that the program made repeated abusive comments likely to expose persons or groups to hatred and contempt on the basis of sexual orientation, that it broadcast false and misleading news, and that the program was used to retaliate and threaten retaliation for making a human rights complaint. In January 2007, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council reached a decision in the complaint. The Panel concluded that a broadcast on July 29, 2006 was in violation of Clause 6 ("Full, Fair and Proper Presentation") and Clause 7 ("Controversial Public Issues") of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Code of Ethics, but not Clause 2 ("Human Rights"). The Panel's decision, which CHRB-AM was required to announce on-air and in writing, was as follows:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
businessman, pundit, and political and religious activist. He is a co-founder and executive director of the Progressive Group for Independent Business
Progressive Group for Independent Business
The Progressive Group for Independent Business is a membership-funded right-wing business group in Canada founded in 1992 with the goal of promoting "less government, lower taxes and political accountability" in Canada. The PGIB claims to have a membership of roughly 6500...
. He was a candidate at the 2003 Progressive Conservative leadership convention
Progressive Conservative leadership convention, 2003
The 2003 Progressive Conservative leadership election was held on May 31, 2003 to elect a leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Peter MacKay was elected as leader to replace former Prime Minister Joe Clark who had retired as party leader. In the end, five candidates emerged as...
and has also been a candidate for Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in Ontario and Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
in Alberta.
Early political experience
As an undergraduate at McMaster UniversityMcMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
in the late 1980s, Chandler joined the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
, where he was active as an organizer and fund-raiser. In the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, Chandler ran as a Reform Party candidate in the riding of Hamilton Mountain
Hamilton Mountain
Hamilton Mountain is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. The riding is located in the Hamilton, Ontario region....
, finishing in a distant second place with 10,297 votes, behind Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
incumbent Beth Phinney
Beth Phinney
Elizabeth Phinney is a former Canadian politician. She was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until her retirement in 2005, representing the riding of Hamilton Mountain in Ontario for the Liberal Party.Phinney grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, and was educated at McMaster University...
, who received 27,218.
Chandler moved to Alberta in 1995. He ran in the 1997 provincial election
Alberta general election, 1997
The Alberta general election of 1997 was the twenty-fourth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 11, 1997 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
as a candidate for the Social Credit Party of Alberta
Social Credit Party of Alberta
The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values....
in the riding of Calgary West
Calgary West (provincial electoral district)
Calgary West is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.The electoral riding of Calgary West is one of the two original Calgary ridings of the seven that has survived from the 1959 Redistribution of the Calgary riding...
, finishing with 1,100 votes, or 7.5% of the electorate. He later rejoined the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and endorsed United Alternative candidate Brian Pallister
Brian Pallister
Brian William Pallister is a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Portage—Lisgar in the Canadian House of Commons from 2000 to 2008. He previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1992 to 1997, and was a cabinet minister in the provincial government of Gary Filmon...
in the party's 1998 Progressive Conservative leadership convention.
In 2000, Chandler's PGIB supported the creation of the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
. In 2002, Chandler and the PGIB backed Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
's successful bid for the leadership of the Alliance.
Progressive Conservative leadership campaign
In 2003, Chandler joined the Progressive Conservative PartyProgressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
and became a candidate for the party's leadership
Progressive Conservative leadership convention, 2003
The 2003 Progressive Conservative leadership election was held on May 31, 2003 to elect a leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Peter MacKay was elected as leader to replace former Prime Minister Joe Clark who had retired as party leader. In the end, five candidates emerged as...
, running on a platform of creating a coalition between the PC and Alliance party caucuses. He withdrew prior to voting and endorsed Calgary lawyer Jim Prentice
Jim Prentice
James "Jim" Prentice, PC, QC is a Canadian lawyer, and politician. In the 2004 federal election he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Conservative Party of Canada...
, who also supported cooperation between the parties.
James Muldoon, a fundraiser for front runner Peter MacKay
Peter MacKay
Peter Gordon MacKay, PC, QC, MP is a lawyer and politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for Central Nova and currently serves as Minister of National Defence in the Cabinet of Canada....
, described Chandler as "the true black face of neoconservatism. He could live to be 100 and he'll never know the meaning of, I am my brother's keeper." Chandler's statements were called "bitter and resentful" by MacKay, whom Chandler criticized for supporting of the passage of Criminal Code of Canada
Criminal Code of Canada
The Criminal Code or Code criminel is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is "An Act respecting the criminal law"...
amendment Bill C-250 that added homosexuals
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
to the list of groups protected by hate crimes legislation. Chandler suggested that the amendment would lead to the banning of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and other religious texts in schools and public libraries. Chandler complimented Tory MP Elsie Wayne
Elsie Wayne
Elsie Eleanore Wayne is a Canadian politician, and a former Progressive Conservative MP for Saint John.-Political career:In 1977, she was elected to the Saint John municipal council...
on what he described as her "honest statements" about homosexuals, suggesting that no one has to apologize for having an opinion, even if it is not politically correct
Politically Correct
Politically Correct may refer to:*Political correctness, language, ideas, policies, or behaviour seeking to minimize offence to groups of people-See also:*Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, book by James Finn Garner, published in 1994...
. This section of his twenty minute speech was booed by many delegates.
Chandler also called for a formal union of the PC and CA parties, advocating an electoral coalition between the two parties that would eventually lead to a merger. Chandler proposed that:
- Currently elected PC and CA MPs would run uncontested for their nominations and stand as sole right-of-centre candidates in their respective ridings in the next election;
- Liberal PartyLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, New Democratic PartyNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
or Bloc QuébécoisBloc QuébécoisThe Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
ridings where the PCs ran closest to first-place in the 2000 electionCanadian federal election, 2000The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
would have a PC candidate running as the sole right-of-centre choice in the next election and vice versa for ridings where CA candidates came closest to first-place. - After the next election, the elected parliamentary caucuses of both parties would work towards a full-fledged merger.
At the end of his speech Chandler was complimentary of the leadership qualities of his competitors David Orchard
David Orchard
David Orchard is a Canadian political figure, member of the Liberal Party of Canada, who was the Liberal Party candidate for the Saskatchewan riding of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River in the 2008 federal election.Previously, Orchard was a member of the now defunct Progressive Conservative...
and Scott Brison
Scott Brison
Scott A. Brison, PC, MP is a Canadian politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. Brison has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Kings-Hants since the 1997 federal election. Brison was originally elected as a Progressive Conservative but crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party in 2003...
, before endorsing and pledging support to Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
lawyer Jim Prentice's leadership bid to the astonishment of many delegates in attendance.
Chandler has claimed that he was asked to run for the leadership of the PC Party by Stephen Harper, at that time leader of the Canadian Alliance and Leader of the Official Opposition.
With the exception of statements in one debate on CPAC where he openly apologized to the citizens of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
's unwillingness to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, his candidacy was largely ignored by the media until the last days of the campaign. Chandler admitted in the Globe and Mail and the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
(May 29, 2003) that he had never tried to seriously contest the leadership of the PC Party, but had instead served as a voice for the Progressive Group for Independent Business and their United Alternative efforts. PGIB donated $250,000 to Chandler's bid.
Federal politics
After the Tory leadership race, Chandler quickly receded from the public eye. He resurfaced briefly during the 2004 federal electionCanadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, and during the March 2005 Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
policy convention in Montreal. Both times he criticized Tory leader Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
's ambiguous position on freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
for evangelical Christians, same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, and civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
rights for common-law couples. Chandler also suggested that he resented Harper's attempts to "shut-up" socially conservative MPs.
In 1997, Chandler established a religious lobby group Concerned Christians Canada Inc. to rally support for Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
candidates, MPs and causes. Chandler's present connections to this group are unknown.
In February 2005, Chandler suggested on CBC Newsworld
CBC Newsworld
CBC News Network is a Canadian English language Category C specialty news channel owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . It broadcasts into over 10 million homes in Canada. It is the world's third-oldest television service of this nature, after CNN in the United States and...
that he would be campaigning for the Conservative Party nomination in the next election in the riding of Calgary North Centre, then represented by Conservative MP Jim Prentice. This choice of riding was believed to be motivated by Prentice's continuing votes supporting same-sex marriage in Canada
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
and, presumably, Chandler's opposition to this legislation. A contest for the nomination was precluded when the March CPC Policy Convention in Montreal voted in favour of allowing sitting Tory MPs to gain their nominations uncontested in minority government scenarios, where elections are less predictable.
Chandler wrote a controversial pre-Tory convention article for the March 15, 2005 issue of the Globe and Mail newspaper in which he criticized pro same-sex marriage MP Belinda Stronach
Belinda Stronach
Belinda Caroline Stronach, PC is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the floor to join the Liberals...
, then a Conservative, as "a well-known liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
who has successfully infiltrated the new Conservative Party of Canada." He reiterated his statements on Stronach in a 2005 cover article on Belinda Stronach in Maclean's Magazine.
Stronach later crossed the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
to the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. In an interview on the program CBC News: The Hour
CBC News: The Hour
George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight is a Canadian television talk show broadcast on CBC Television and hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos. Originally known as The Hour from 2005 to 2010, it first aired on January 17, 2005. The program is currently initially broadcast on CBC Television at 11:05 p.m....
with host George Stroumboulopoulos
George Stroumboulopoulos
George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and being a VJ for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic...
, Chandler suggested that Stronach's discomfort with the new Tory party's policies was a sign that the new Conservatives would not be "just another liberal party," and that her defection was "a victory for family values
Family values
Family values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. Familialism is the ideology that promotes the family and its values as an institution....
supporters".
Alberta provincial politics
Chandler, who is from Ontario, caused controversy in August 2007 for comments stating, "You came to here to enjoy our economy, our natural beauty and more. This is our home and if you wish to live here, you must adapt to our rules and our voting patterns or leave. Conservatism is our culture. Do not destroy what we have created." This statement was strongly criticized by some, including the Premier of Alberta, Ed Stelmach.In the fall of 2007, Chandler sought the Progressive Conservative nomination of Calgary-Egmont for the up-coming Alberta provincial election. Soon after winning the contest, however, Premier Stelmach and the Alberta Conservative Party's executive reviewed Chandler's candidacy. One concern was Chandler's association with a conservative Christian organization (the Concerned Christian Coalition), a group vocally opposed to homosexuality and gay rights. Chandler had been CEO of the organization when a letter was published in the Red Deer Advocate in 2002 by a member of that organization (Stephen Boissoin). In that letter ("Homosexual Agenda Wicked") Boisson suggested that homosexuals were as immoral as pedophiles, drug dealers and pimps, and that gay activists were "perverse, morally deprived individuals who are spreading their psychological disease". After numerous complaints the matter was referred to the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC). During the Commission's hearing in July 2007 Boissoin testified that Chandler was aware of the letter and supported him. On November 30, 2007, the AHRC ruled that the letter broke provincial human rights law and exposed gays to hatred and contempt. In the 81-page decision, Lori Andreachuk of the AHRC wrote "In my view, it is clear that the letter expresses hatred or contempt for a group of persons on the basis of their sexual preference".
Prior to the decision and as part of a settlement with the CHRC (not AHRC since websites are under Federal jurisdiction), Chandler agreed to remove the letter from websites he controlled and further agreed to "cease and desist" from posting messages on the internet stating that homosexuals conspire against society, are sick, diseased or mentally ill, and want to have sex with children. As part of the settlement with the AHRC, Chandler was required to post a formal apology on his website as well as the terms of the settlement. In December 2009, the ruling was overturned in Lund v. Boissoin
Lund v. Boissoin
Lund v. Boissoin is a matter in the Province of Alberta which began in June 2002 as a letter to the editor on the subject of homosexuality from Reverend Stephen Boissoin to the Red Deer Advocate. Dr. Darren Lund complained about the letter to the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission...
on free speech grounds.
On December 1, 2007, during a closed meeting of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party's forty member executive, chaired by Premier Stelmach, Chandler spent two hours outlining why his nomination for the provincial riding of Calgary-Egmont should be endorsed. The executive voted not to endorse Chandler's candidacy, with Premier Stelmach subsequently stating that having Chandler stand in the riding was "not in the best interests of the party". "I have always been a strong believer in human rights" said the premier. Chandler responded the same day by quitting the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party, stating "I'm not going to belong to a party that doesn't want me."
In the 2008 Alberta election held on March 3, Chandler ran as an independent candidate in the Calgary-Egmont riding against Jonathan Denis, his replacement as the Tory candidate, and Liberal Cathie Williams. Chandler was widely expected to run as a candidate for the new Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta
Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta
The Wildrose Party, formerly Wildrose Alliance Party, is a conservative provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. It includes free market conservative, libertarian and socially conservative factions and was formed in 2008 following a merger of the Wildrose Party of Alberta and the Alberta...
but was defeated in his attempt to win election to the new party's board of directors. In the provincial election Chandler finished in third place with 2008 votes (16.2%), well behind Cathie Williams, the Liberal Party candidate, with 3289 votes (26.5%). The Progressive Conservative candidate (Jonathan Denis) won with 43.6% of the vote (5415 votes). " Chandler has spent an estimated $150,000 in his candidacy for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
but the final campaign return indicated he had only spent $13,045.
Campaign manager
Chandler claims to have managed 48 campaigns, presumably nominations, leadership races, and provincial and federal elections.In November 2004 during the 2004 Alberta election
Alberta general election, 2004
The Alberta general election of 2004 was the twenty-sixth general election for the province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on November 22, 2004 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
, Craig Chandler managed the campaign of David Crutcher
David Crutcher
David Crutcher is a politician and small business man from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He graduated from Brunel University in England in 1962 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.In 1994 David Crutcher founded Ramatek Inc...
, an Alberta Alliance Party
Alberta Alliance Party
The Alberta Alliance was a right wing provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Many of its members were former supporters of the now-defunct Canadian Alliance federal political party and its predecessor, the Reform Party of Canada. Members also joined from such other provincial fringe parties...
candidate in Calgary-Egmont. Crutcher was not elected, winning 1,657 votes, or 14% of the total. Notably, David Crutcher received more votes than any other Alliance candidate in an urban riding. In 2005, David Crutcher
David Crutcher
David Crutcher is a politician and small business man from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He graduated from Brunel University in England in 1962 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.In 1994 David Crutcher founded Ramatek Inc...
ran for the leadership of the Alberta Alliance
Alberta Alliance Party leadership election, 2005
The Alberta Alliance Party, a conservative political party in Alberta, Canada, held its second leadership election on November 18 and 19, 2005, in Red Deer, Alberta...
and Chandler managed his leadership campaign. Crutcher placed third out of four candidates. He was also the campaign manager for Calgary Ward 14 winning alderman Peter Demong, and now serves as his constituency assistant.
Chandler also managed the successful campaign of MLA Art Johnston.
In the media
Chandler was involved in a documentary film titled, God Only Knows: Same Sex Marriage, which aired on Canadian Broadcasting CorporationCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
television's The Lens (February 2006) program. In the documentary, Chandler and Dylan Crozier, a gay pastor from Vancouver, each spent a week walking in the other person's shoes.
Chandler is the host of a Calgary radio show called Freedom Radio Network (the "FRN" on CHRB-AM Calgary). In August 2006 a complaint was received by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council about Chandler's radio program, alleging, among other things, that the program made repeated abusive comments likely to expose persons or groups to hatred and contempt on the basis of sexual orientation, that it broadcast false and misleading news, and that the program was used to retaliate and threaten retaliation for making a human rights complaint. In January 2007, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council reached a decision in the complaint. The Panel concluded that a broadcast on July 29, 2006 was in violation of Clause 6 ("Full, Fair and Proper Presentation") and Clause 7 ("Controversial Public Issues") of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Code of Ethics, but not Clause 2 ("Human Rights"). The Panel's decision, which CHRB-AM was required to announce on-air and in writing, was as follows:
- "The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has found that CHRB-AM breached provisions of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Code of Ethics in its broadcast of an episode of Freedom Radio on July 29, 2006. Because of the cumulative effect of a series of incorrect, distorted or exaggerated comments about a private individual, the CBSC has found that CHRB breached Clause 6 of the CAB Code of Ethics, which requires the full, fair and proper presentation of opinion, editorial or other comment. Because of the one-sided commitment of nearly an entire episode of the program against that private figure and boasting that it would disregard any court decisions rendered in his favour, the CBSC has found that CHRB breached Clause 7 of the CAB Code of Ethics, which requires the fair treatment of all subjects of a controversial nature."