Shelly Glover's push to toss out Manitoba PC leadership race results to be heard in court Dec. 23
Hearing will be broadcast to the public, pending a formal request from media outlets
Shelly Glover's application to toss out the results of the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party's leadership race will be heard in court two days before Christmas — and all Manitobans should be able to watch.
Glover's case against the PCs will be heard on Dec. 23, Justice James Edmond decided in a court proceeding on Monday.
The court hearing is slated for a live broadcast, pending formal requests from media outlets, Edmond said.
On Oct. 30, the governing PC Party selected Heather Stefanson as its leader following a mail-in vote. The Tuxedo MLA was named the winner by 363 votes.
Glover did not concede defeat and asked the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench to throw out the result — and order up a new election — on the grounds the total vote count fluctuated on election day and that the party failed to secure ballots.
Lawyers for Glover and the PC Party consented to let the court resolve the dispute as soon as possible. In documents filed Monday, lawyers for the party said a lingering dispute could damage its reputation.
Both sides also agreed to allow Stefanson and PC official George Orle to be parties to the case.
Justice Edmond agreed and set a schedule for all parties to file documents over the the next month.
He noted the court hearing on Dec. 23 will not be a judicial review of the party's decision or a judicial recount.
Instead, he said the court will determine whether there were any breaches to the party's constitution or the rules and procedures established for the leadership race.
Edmond said the case warrants broadcast to the public.
"This is a matter of urgency and public interest. This application not only affects the parties and the intervenor, but also affects the people of Manitoba, who have an interest in knowing whether the election of our new premier is flawed," he said.
The Dec. 23 hearing is slated to be held in person but could become a virtual hearing if COVID-19 case counts continue to rise and public health rules prevent an in-person gathering at that time, Edmond said.
The leadership race was triggered after former premier Brian Pallister announced in August that he planned to step down. Stefanson was sworn in as premier earlier this month, following the leadership vote.