Cone of silence tightens on Tories

Cone of silence tightens on Tories

Some Conservative candidates across Canada are emulating Stephen Harper’s tightly scripted election campaign by refusing to attend all-candidates debates or appear before the media. ...

The phenomenon appears most pronounced in Alberta, where Conservatives hold every riding but one.

In Calgary East, Tory incumbent Deepak Obhrai has come under fire for being the only candidate not to respond to an invitation for an all-candidates debate on Tuesday.

“In the interest of the democratic process, your attendance as the incumbent MP is an absolute must,” campaign worker Aman Hayer wrote on behalf of Liberal candidate Josipa Petrunic. “ You owe it to your constituents.”

Calgary-Nose Hill Tory incumbent Diane Ablonczy has also indicated she may boycott any all-candidate forum.

But this shyness is hardly an Alberta-only phenomenon. Julian Fantino, who snatched the Toronto-area riding of Vaughan away from the Liberals in a by-election last November, refused to attend all-candidates debates in that campaign and has indicated he’s unlikely to do so now.

In the northern Ontario riding of Sault Ste. Marie, some residents have complained that their efforts to follow Tory challenger Bryan Hayes on Twitter have been blocked.

Incumbent Conservative Ed Holder has refused to participate in an all-candidates meeting on health care in his London West riding, saying it is his policy not to attend single-issue debates.