Doug Campbell, a fixture in conservative, free market prairie agricultural circles, is making a bid to become a Conservative MP from Alberta.
But there is an obstacle in his path to the House of Commons.
The obstacle’s name is Myron Thompson, the 70-year-old veteran Conservative MP from Alberta’s Wild Rose constituency, which stretches north and west of Calgary to the British Columbia border.
He has been elected five times and has sat in the House of Commons for 13 years as a Reform, Alliance and Conservative MP. He voices strong opinions and has no intention of leaving without a fight.
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Thompson, an outspoken populist with a trademark Stetson, won three-quarters of the vote in the January 2006 election.
Conservative party members in the bedrock conservative riding are voting Sept. 9 to 25 for who will be their candidate in the next election.
Mount Royal College political scientist Keith Brownsey sees this challenge as part of a trend within the Conservative party on the Prairies. It is a challenge to original Reform party populists by a new generation of ideological conservatives more in line with prime minister Stephen Harper’s small government, free market, anti-populism outlook.
“I definitely do see this as part of the process in the West of purging not only red Tories but also the old Reform populists,” he said.
“Now that they are in government, I definitely think there are people in the party who want to see a changing of the guard.”
Two other veteran Alberta Conservatives elected in 1993 as Reformers – Ken Epp and John Williams from the Edmonton area – have announced they will not run again.
Thompson has decided otherwise, despite a history of heart problems and a less-than-prominent role in the Conservative government.
“I have decided to run again,” he said in a letter to constituents in mid-August after he was challenged.
“I feel that with the changes that are taking place within our party, we need experienced leaders with strong principles to guide the Conservative party into the next election.”
He said he has stood for tough justice policies, lower taxes and “a substantive and meaningful agricultural plan that will help our farmers and ranchers through tough times…. These issues are too important to be handed over to someone inexperienced and unfamiliar with the issues.”
Tough row to hoe
Campbell and his supporters insist that Thompson had been expected to step aside but changed his mind. Party rules do not protect sitting MPs from challenges, but make it difficult for challengers by giving them just a few days to sell memberships to mount an effective campaign.
Campbell told constituents Aug. 22 he would be a vigorous representative. “My expertise in agribusiness, rural development, transportation and international trade will be an asset.”
Campbell, 59, began his career in agricultural politics in Saskatchewan in the 1970s as the office manager for the Palliser Wheat Growers Association. There, he fought the Canadian Wheat Board sales monopoly on western grown wheat and barley exports, the Crow rate rail transportation subsidy and the influence of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.
In 1979-80, he was chief of staff to Progressive Conservative agriculture minister John Wise during the short-lived Joe Clark government.
Since then, he has been involved in Canada Grains Council projects, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, Grain Growers of Canada and a last-minute coalition formed last year to oppose the Farmer Rail Car Coalition plan to take possession of federal grain hopper rail cars.
Brownsey said Campbell will have a tough time taking the Conservative nomination away from Thompson.
“I think it is a bit of a long shot,” he said. “Thompson is very popular but clearly, the party is being changed. This challenge is part of a trend.”
