I read a comment that Ontario MPP Frank Klees essentially announced his intent to run for the Ontario Conservative Party leader on religious tv yesterday.
I read it again.
I went elsewhere and sure enough Frank Klees (Newmarket-Aurora) threw his hat in Sunday. The announcement was carried by CTV, prior to his appearance on Charles McVety’s program Word.ca.
The party holds it’s leadership convention June 27th. Klees came in 3rd in the 2004 leadership race won by John Tory, and stepped away an Alliance Party leadership bid in 2000. Tory failed to win a seat in the last Ontario election and lost in a by-election in March.
Klees comes across as a moderate compared to today’s announced candidate Randy Hillier. Leadership hopefuls have until April 17th to announce. The leadership is decided by members of the 107 ridings with one member one vote system.
While Klees didn’t made his official announcement on a religious program, there is a fair bit of chatter about his appearance on Charles McVety’s show Sunday.
Klees introduced a private members bill in the Ontario Legislature in 1999 giving degree granting authority to Canada Christian College run by McVety. The College had it’s Ontario status revoked in 1982. The headline comes from what McVety supposedly said:
In 1998, the Ontario government ordered the College to cease and desist operations. McVety claimed that his response was to “[tell] them to take a long walk on a short pier and get lost.”
I don’t know what Klees said on Word.ca. CTS doesn’t have streaming, McVety’s Word.ca is aired Sunday nights at 11 pm. The Miracle Channel airs Word.ca at 9 pm Central on Sunday night and does not offer past programs. Word.ca doesn’t have the Klees appearance up yet.
I can’t speak to what was said by Klees, hopefully the program will be online soon, but it’s political suicide to babble on about your intentions on McVety’s show. It may keep your seat in Newmarket-Aurora, but there are issues in 107 riding much larger than the market McVety reaches and preaches to. Evangelical fundamentalist fringe does not equal Ontario Progressive Conservative Party. Could McVety raise a substantial amount of the 50 thousand Klee needed to toss his hat in? Probably.
Klees told CTV Sunday:
“I look forward to what I know is going to be an exciting campaign over the next 90 days,” Klees said. “I’ll talk about the importance of returning to Progressive Conservative values and principles.”
The Liberals hold 72 seats, The Progressive Conservatives 24, and the NDP 10. There is currently 1 independent MPP.
Frank Klees MPP
Official announcement
Comment bumped up: Tuesday or Wednesday are the days of the tape being put up online.
When it does become available, it will be under the tab that says This Week On Word.CA – Torontonian
But said fringe does make up a voting block within the Tories; IIRC, former leader John Tory was playing to it in the last campaign with a plan to extend the funding given to Catholic schools to other faith-based schools, only to see it backfire among swing voters.
I don’t know much about McVety other than what you report on here; he seems to be a Pat Robertson wannabe, hoping to be a theocon power-broker. As long as he doesn’t scare off hockey mom Tories with this visit, Klees might get something out of the visit.
By the way, what is with the Ontario Tories this go round. Klees, Van Loan; do you have to have a Dutch-sounding name to run this time?
As of Tuesday morning at 8 am EDT, the video of
Klees has not yet been posted at http://www.word.ca.
Perhaps it will be later today–Tuesday or Wednesday
are the days of the tape being put up online.
When it does become available, it will be under
the tab that says This Week On Word.CA
ar arrr arr. Van Loan has said no, he’s not running and has decided to remain federal, Klees is a German immigrant, Randy Hillier and Masood Khan have declared.
We have German and Dutch ancestory settlers in parts of west/southern Ontario.:^)
Thanks Torontonian. I’ll bump that info into the post.
Thursday morning and the Klees video still is not on
the http://www.word.ca website.
Curious. See my comment at unrepentant old hippie.
Hmmm. Will do.
It’s Tuesday the week after the Klees interview.
Word.ca did not put up the Klees tape. What is there
now is last Sunday’s telecast about Galloway
and polygamy.
Apparently Kells’ interview got raptured.
Pingback: Daily Roundup | Religious Right Alert