UCP leadership debate in Springbrook cancelled, candidates threatened with fines

A Town Hall event featuring candidates in the United Conservative Party leadership race has been cancelled.

The event scheduled for Saturday at the Springbrook Multiplex was being organized and hosted by the Central Alberta Regional Group, who describe themselves as a nonpartisan citizens group dedicated to promoting conservative grassroots values.

In a brief media release sent out Friday afternoon the group said, “The United Conservative Party (UCP) has threatened to level significant fines to any candidate that participates in a leadership debate scheduled on Saturday in Springbrook, Alberta. Thus the debate in Springbrook is cancelled.”

Janis Nett, a spokesperson with the Central Alberta Regional Group told rdnewsNOW that Jeff Callaway was the only one of the four leadership candidates to confirm his attendance at the town hall before it was cancelled.

She was unable to comment on why the party was threatening to fine candidates for taking part in the event. 

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Ed Ammar, Chair of the UCP, says the party has nothing else to say on the matter at this point other than that there is an official debate being held in Red Deer on October 3. More details are forthcoming.

Brian Jean, Jason Kenney and Doug Schweitzer are the other three candidates in the UCP leadership race.

The party’s first official leadership debate will take place Wednesday, Sept. 20 in Calgary.