As Doug Ford, the leader of the Progressive Conservative party, seems to be on track for his third consecutive electoral win, his campaign team is being cautioned not to leave their assigned locations on election day. This warning comes amidst concerns of potential repercussions from the party and the candidates, according to information obtained by Global News.
On a typical election day, political parties commit a significant amount of resources and energy into ‘get out the vote’ campaigns. These efforts include ensuring identified supporters vote, assisting voters in reaching polling stations, and strategically placing volunteers in key ridings that the party hopes to win or maintain.
Kory Teneycke, the campaign manager for the Progressive Conservative party, issued a directive to the campaign staff and volunteers on Wednesday. He urged them to prioritize the party over personal interests and remain committed to their assigned ridings. Teneycke expressed his disappointment in an email, obtained by Global News, over some staff planning to leave their assigned campaigns to either move to another riding or leave early, calling such actions unacceptable.
Teneycke emphasized that this directive applies to everyone working for the Progressive Conservative team. He warned that any attempts to abandon local campaigns would not be tolerated. The party plans to conduct random checks to ensure adherence to this directive, and those who leave early could face unspecified consequences.
In a second email, Teneycke warned candidates and local campaign managers that not adhering to this directive would cause unnecessary distractions and waste everyone’s time. He also encouraged the candidates not to put their staff in an uncomfortable position where they may receive calls from the central campaign team enforcing this directive.
Teneycke thanked the candidates for a disciplined campaign and their efforts in garnering record-level support for the party. He also expressed his gratitude towards candidates for avoiding media interviews, as requested by the party, which has helped the Progressive Conservatives avoid losing any candidate due to scandals or poor interviews.
While campaigning in Windsor, Doug Ford, the PC leader, dismissed a question about a local candidate’s lack of participation in election debates. He justified this by stating that he prefers candidates to focus on door-to-door campaigning. Ford asserted that such decisions fall under his purview as party leader.
