Sask. Conservative leadership hopeful says he was disqualified despite meeting requirements
A Saskatchewan business owner says while he met the requirements to officially join the federal Conservative leadership race, a clerical issue ended his hopes of leading the party.
While Joseph Bourgault said he takes the Conservative Party of Canada's (CPC) explanation at "face value" he questions whether that was all there was to it.
"Is there some kind of consciousness — that they want to keep you out of the race," he told CTV News during an interview by Zoom.
Bourgault is the co-founder of Canadians for Truth, a group largely born out of opposition to pandemic health measures, which promotes a medically disproven treatment for COVID-19 on its website.
The website also references the "great reset," a phrase used by adherents of a conspiracy theory that frames the COVID-19 pandemic as an attempt by "global elites" to reshape society.
He was also a high-profile supporter of the Ottawa convoy protest earlier in his year.
Bourgault made the trip to the nation's capital during the protest and describes it as a "spiritual experience."
"It was just the most moving experience I've ever had in my life, many of us were shedding tears often over there," Bourgault said in a Zoom interview with CTV News.
"You know, just being in the presence of all the great people, all the great Canadians that were there."
His name was not included among the six candidates who will appear on the ballot when the party picks its leader later this year and won't be included in any debates.
According to Bourgault, that's despite the fact that he was able to raise the total of $300,000 required to enter the race and exceeded the number of required CPC-member signatures before the April 29 deadline.
"It took them a number of days, we couldn't figure out why it was taking so long for them to verify," Bourgault said.
"Then on Sunday night, we received the call."
Bourgault said the party told him the decision came down to a single "inadequacy" in a loan document that was submitted as part of his financing package.
"That doesn't make a lot of sense to us, for the amount of time and energy and effort that goes into something like this If you haven't dotted an 'i' or crossed a 't.'"
Bourgault said there was no specific guidance on how to craft the document.
"Let me be clear here — the error that they're claiming is an error. We didn't see it that way," Bourgault said.
"Based on what was given to us, there's a lot of ambiguity in it … it was so easy for something like that to happen."
CPC has not responded to a request for comment.
Bourgault said that CPC staff spoke "very highly" of him and his campaign team, but the feeling may not be universal.
"We've heard from fairly reliable sources that there were some people (who) don't like people who speak the truth and I'm a truth seeker and a truth speaker," Bourgault said.
"I don't have factual documentation that I can show you. But if there were candidates that operated in the background in any way to get us off the out of the debates, they're really not a legitimate candidate and they're going to struggle."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
NEW Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Toronto Maple Leafs fire head coach Sheldon Keefe
The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that Sheldon Keefe has been relieved as his duties as head coach.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
RateMDs violates privacy of health professionals, class-action lawsuit claims
A lawsuit against RateMDs has been given the go-ahead by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who found the claim that the website violates the privacy rights of medical professionals is not 'bound to fail.'
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.