'Negative crap' taking away from PC leadership race, MLA says

The onlyProgressive Conservative MLAs to so far endorsea leadership candidate other than Jason Kenney says infighting has overshadowedwhat's supposed to be a race to become the next leader of the party.

"I'm pretty disappointed with all this negative crap," said Wayne Drysdale, MLA forGrande Prairie-Wapiti, who before Christmas threw his support behind caucus colleague Richard Starke.

"This is supposed to be a race for the leadership of the PC party. Somehow he [Jason Kenney] has turned this into a plebiscite for closing down the PC party."

Drysdale was referring to the uproar earlier this week over a decision by the PC board to suspend Allan Hallman from the party for posting inappropriate tweets.

Hallman, a prominent member of theKenneyteam and longtime party organizer, has since called onPCAAparty president Katherine O'Neill to resign, citing "bias" against theKenneycampaign.

Interim PC leader RicMcIver, who has not publicly supported any leadership candidate, said he disagrees with the PC board decision to suspendHallman.

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McIver told CBC News the board must allow the race to unfold and not try to "control the process."

"I think we let the members vote on who the next leader is, and not try to hand it to one leadership contender, or to disqualify any," McIver said. "That's important."

Starkesaid he hasalso been disappointed by the turn of events. He insisted the only ones talking about disqualifying Kenney are actually Kenney supporters.

"The board has been unequivocal," he said. "The people who are saying the board is considering it are all Kenney supporters."

PC board 'under siege'

But Starkedoes question whether allowing Kenney into the race in the first place was the right thing for the board to do.

"I'm hearing that raised by members more and more and more across the province as I travel," said Starke. "Partly because of these incidents, all of these things that have happened. It seems to be an almost daily occurrence. It's very frustrating to people who have supported the party over the decades."

PC board member Kim Krushell said the board is "under siege," facing criticism from the pro- and anti-Kenney campaigns. She said the board has committed to running a contest free "bias," where party rules are upheld.

"You can't have a good leadership race unless you try to have people respect the rules," said Krushell. "I do think there are people out there who are unhappy with the board from both directions."

As thecampaigns continueto gather delegates for the upcoming leadership vote in March, the main plank in Kenney's platform remains the formation of a new right-of-centre political party to defeat the NDP government. TheKenney campaign has said repeatedly ithas won the most delegate support so far.