Nomination contenders 'appalled' as Steve Kent is tapped as Avalon Conservative candidate

Terry Roberts · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 24, 2025 10:22 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

A determination by the Conservative Party of Canada to name Steve Kent — a erstwhile PC MHA and municipal head with the City of Mount Pearl — arsenic the party's campaigner successful the Newfoundland and Labrador riding of Avalon has 2 information contenders crying foul.

Goulds nonmigratory Branden O'Brien, a ship's skipper with the Canadian Coast Guard, and Carbonear lawyer Jessica Babb had been waging an energetic information contest.

Both accidental they were encouraged to participate authorities by Kent, who is the Atlantic Canada determination organizer for the Conservatives.

But connected Sunday, connected the aforesaid time that Liberal Leader Mark Carney launched a national predetermination run and announced that Canadians volition spell to the polls connected April 28, the enactment exercised its close to name a campaigner instead.

That's left O'Brien and Babb, on with their supporters, feeling shocked and frustrated.

The 2 unsuccessful nominees issued a associated connection connected O'Brien's Facebook leafage connected Monday morning.

"We are not lone profoundly disappointed but besides frankly appalled by this decision, which undermines the antiauthoritarian values our assemblage deserves," the connection reads.

Babb told CBC News Monday greeting she was "blindsided" pursuing a 10-week effort that saw her walk thousands of dollars and convince much than 500 supporters to walk $15 each to motion up for the Conservative party.

"We were moving hard. We were acceptable for it and it didn't happen," Babb said by telephone.

Her brother, A.J. Babb, said the determination to acclaim Kent arsenic the campaigner "is not the positive alteration that Canada needs."

A.J. Babb said helium volition not beryllium voting for Kent, and is urging those who signed up for the enactment successful bid to enactment his sister to "do the same."

"Two young professionals who had taken weeks of clip and effort to run successful bully religion that [the] democratic process would beryllium followed, and a information ballot would occur," A.J. Babb wrote connected Facebook.

"We were disappointed and shocked that an idiosyncratic who had actively supported Jessica to tally would subsequently go acclaimed."

O'Brien and Babb said they championed a transparent and unfastened information process, but said those principles were "disregarded" by the party.

Jessica Babb said she volition stay a subordinate of the Conservative party, but said "no comment" erstwhile asked if she volition enactment Kent's campaign.

Kent is the erstwhile lawman politician and politician of Mount Pearl and represented Mount Pearl North successful the House of Assembly for a decade. He served successful elder furniture roles, including wellness minister, and was lawman premier. 

He near provincial authorities successful precocious 2017 to go main administrative serviceman for the City of Mount Pearl, but was placed connected administrative permission by the metropolis successful the autumn of 2019 implicit allegations of workplace harassment.

Kent discontinue his occupation arsenic main administrative serviceman successful June 2020 earlier assembly could ballot to occurrence him. There's ongoing litigation betwixt the metropolis and Kent related to his departure.

• Steve Kent's privateness breached by Mount Pearl's handling of Facebook messages, justice rules
• Facebook chats uncover clandestine readying betwixt Steve Kent, 2 Mount Pearl councillors

Kent has not responded to messages near by CBC News. It's not wide wherefore helium decided to tally successful the riding of Avalon, and not Cape Spear, which includes the full metropolis of Mount Pearl.

The Liberal campaigner successful Avalon is Paul Connors, the enforcement adjunct to the existent MP, Ken McDonald. McDonald is not seeking re-election.

The NDP does not person a campaigner listed connected its website arsenic of Monday morning.

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