Local town councillor claims “character assassination” in disqualification from UCP nomination

She also believes Dreeshen has been unresponsive to constituents, which Dreeshen’s office tells rdnewsNOW it denies.

Open June 14-28, constituency nominations require a 40-page application, 50 signatures from party members in the constituency, $2,000 and an interview with the Local Constituency Nomination Committee (LCNC).

Dakin said she garnered 121 signatures, 30 reference letters from prominent community members, and gave the LCNC her social media passwords.

The process started rough, she says, upon discovering Charlie Moore, Dreeshen’s uncle, would be one of her interviewers. Moore was removed from the process when Dakin contested it was a conflict of interest.

On July 3, Dakin received an email from Dustin van Vugt, Executive Director, Alberta UCP, saying the Party Candidate Selection Committee (PCSC) was rejecting her nomination.

Section 5.5 of the UCP’s Candidate Selection Rules and Procedures states, “The PCSC has the discretion to reject an Applicant, disqualify a Nomination Contestant, or disallow a Candidate on any grounds it sees fit. The LCNC has no authority to reject an Applicant but shall report to the PCSC any grounds upon which it believes an Applicant should be rejected.”

Click photos to enlarge

Kjeryn Dakin rejection letter for UCP nomination candidacy for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake on July 3, pages 1-2. (Supplied/Kjeryn Dakin)

Kjeryn Dakin rejection letter for UCP nomination candidacy for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake on July 3, pages 3-4. (Supplied/Kjeryn Dakin)

van Vugt brings three points to her attention.

First. he addresses a questionnaire Dakin completed, asking if she’s “ever been a partner, director, officer, or beneficial owner of a corporation which was or is charged, indicted or convicted under any Canadian or provincial criminal or regulatory offence.” Dakin’s response of ‘no’ is inaccurate, he says, because in 2015, her restaurant Bukwildz was fined by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) for selling alcohol outdoors after midnight.

Dakin says a staff member was ticketed, and later fired, but AGLC tells rdnewsNOW such sanctions are issued to the licensee. AGLC’s website shows Bukwildz was issued a suspension or fine of four days or $1,000 on Sept. 4, 2015.

Second is Dakin’s admission to holding multiple party memberships — for the UCP, NDP and Alberta Party. Though Dakin openly stated the reasoning for this being that she wanted to understand the opposition’s messaging. van Vugt calls that unnecessary, adding that the NDP doesn’t allow it at all. He also notes parties require members to declare support for their principles, which she couldn’t have done truthfully given her multiple memberships.

Dakin responded, saying if she were to win under the UCP, she’d still need to represent constituents who hold differing views. She says the UCP fits her best, primarily as a fiscally conservative entrepreneur.

Lastly, van Vugt points to a 20-second Facebook video from 2017 where a customer drinking at Bukwildz is purportedly wearing symbols of the Soldiers of Odin — an anti-immigrant biker group — on the back of a leather jacket. van Vugt says this association could harm the party’s reputation.

“I have thousands of people that come to my patio every summer,” says Dakin, claiming she wasn’t present that day, adding the video was posted by a customer tagging the restaurant. “I’m not going to ask my staff to go up to someone who’s potentially dangerous, so we always wait until a general manager can do it or we politely ask them to please take off their stuff.”

Dakin claims four members in the LCNC asked during her interview if she’d keep the current constituency board, and was yelled at for mentioning Dreeshen.

After appealing the rejection, she posted van Vugt’s letter on Facebook.

On July 7, Dakin received another email from van Vugt stating the board of directors had rejected her appeal because she violated the confidentiality agreement she signed to not publicly disclose information about the application process.

UCP rejection letter for Kjeryn Dakin’s appeal. (Supplied/Kjeryn Dakin)

Dakin says as a single mother of three who launched three restaurants and co-founded the Dakin Chase Foundation for struggling youth, says the disqualification, “broke her heart.”

Speaking to rdnewsNOW, the UCP’s director of communications, Dave Prisco, says, “The stakes for Albertans in the next election are extremely high. The UCP will be fighting to protect jobs and our economy from the NDP and to stop the Trudeau-Notley alliance from destroying our energy sector. We will not allow a single nomination contestant to derail us from that mission. Ms. Dakin was not forthright on her application, and we have zero tolerance for that.”

Dakin says sharing her story isn’t about complaining, but being transparent about the process. She believes Albertans want to vote for people, not just a party.

“The rhetoric of ‘We have to vote UCP because otherwise the NDP will win’ is wrong. That’s the wrong mentality; that’s not putting the right people in place,” she says.

Sylvan Lake Mayor Megan Hanson says council members may campaign while on council, and only need to resign if successful in the general election. She says council supports Dakin’s choice to run.

UCP members will vote for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake’s candidate on July 19 & 20; the nominees are Devin Dreeshen and Onsy Tawadrous.

Dreeshen’s office says it won’t comment further on internal political matters such as this.

by Alessia Proietti

Local town councillor claims “character assassination” in disqualification from UCP nomination

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