Two provincial organizers have resigned from the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), citing EDA issues and rogue elements which have allegedly strayed the party from its original principles.
Update: the article originally gave the impression that Angelo Isidorou was Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson’s campaign manager throughout the byelection, but upon further discovery Isidorou was only in the position temporarily. The article has been updated to reflect this reality.
Two provincial organizers have resigned from the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), citing EDA issues and rogue elements which have allegedly strayed the party from its original principles.
Angelo Isidorou, EDA President for Vancouver Quadra, and Daniel Joseph, EDA President for Kelowna-Lake Country announced their resignations online over the weekend.
The PPC was formed in 2018, shortly after its leader Quebec MP, Maxime Bernier resigned from the Conservative Party of Canada over a dispute with the party on conservative principles, the party’s leadership and a series of tweets in which he criticized Canada’s rampant multiculturalism.
Over the weekend, Isidorou, who also was also briefly the campaign manager for Burnaby South PPC candidateLaura-Lynn Tyler Thompson, described the reasoning behind his resignation in a blog post online.
“My own investigating has revealed that the party in its current state, has no national board, thus there is no accountability anywhere. It’s is an utter free for all, hijacked by egomaniacs who aren’t allowed in any other party. The party that existed just a few months ago is not the same party we see before us now”, wrote Isidorou.
According to him, when he had brought up his concerns about provincial organization with PPC party leader Maxime Bernier, his concerns went unaddressed despite promises that things would be changed.
“I think he attempted to do so. The issue is that it’s very difficult to convince a person that the people they physically spend time with in an office are actually compromised. So it’s almost impossible for me to persuade him when I’m across the country and I can’t counter the false information handed to him,” said Isidorou.
When contacted to comment on the claims, the PPC’s media liaison told The Post Millennial that Maxime Bernier had no comment to make.
Only a few days later after Isidorou’s resignation, Daniel Joseph released a video on his Facebook also publicly resigning from his post in the party.
In the video resignation, which has now been watched over 10,000 times, Daniel Joseph claims that the party has taken on “hateful” overtones.
It is with much regret, that today, I am resigning my position as President of the Kelowna-Lake Country constituency from the People’s Party of Canada.
I believe we can do politics differently. I believe in giving a voice to the silent majority, rather than a speakerphone to vocal pockets of dissent and hate. Unfortunately, this party that shouted from the rooftops it was different, has proven to me that it isn't different at all. They are allowing racist, xenophobic, homophobic and downright hateful people into positions of authority and influence.
There is still hope for this party, however it will require a drastic change in their structure. I hope that Maxime Bernier isn't just all-talk, and that he's willing to build a party of all Canadians, not just the ones shouting loudly. And a lot of people have been telling me to stay quiet until after the general election, however I strongly believe that how we operate is just as important as our results.
This needed to be done.
Posted by Daniel Joseph on Friday, March 29, 2019
“However, it is with a heavy heart that I’d like to call out racist, xenophobic and hateful influences within the party. Knowing that this may hurt the party but also hoping that it comes out stronger,” said Joseph.
When asked about the rogue influences in the party, Isidorou pointed to Joseph’s statement as a testament.
“In BC’s case, they replaced the previous organizer with someone who is unfit, and radical. When I hear that HQ team members alter or withhold information, that is a body that is compromised. If you want to understand the ideological bent behind all of it, I would look no further than Daniel Joseph’s testimony,” said Isidorou.
In the statement, Joseph names the British Columbia regional coordinator, Glen Walushka, and the party’s own executive director.
“This party, it needs a wake up call. Racists and bigots that spew hatred and play divisive political games to tear this party up from the inside out need to be publicly called out,” said Joseph.
However, according to Walushka, Joseph’s claims are “baseless” and incorrect.
“If Mr. Joseph truly believes that he has encountered any form of discrimination from anyone with the People’s Party of Canada, particularly at the organizational level, based on his ethnicity or his racial identity, he should bring those matters forward so that they can be thoroughly and completely investigated,” said Walushka to the Daily Carrier.
“Anyone who suggests that the People’s Party of Canada is not attracting individuals from all aspects of our shared Canadian identity is seriously misrepresenting the actual facts.”
Joseph was contacted by The Post Millennial for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
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