Dimitri Soudas • mackaycartoons

Saturday, February 14, 2015

February 13, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Saturday, February 14, 2015

Trudeau says Tory defector Adams must prove herself, win over lots of Liberals

Tory defector Eve Adams’ willingness to prove her mettle in a difficult Toronto riding was a key part of the decision to welcome her into the federal Liberal party, Justin Trudeau says.

Adams confirmed Wednesday she intends to seek the Liberal nomination in Eglinton-Lawrence, hoping to take on Finance Minister Joe Oliver in the election scheduled for October.

She currently represents Mississauga-Brampton South but last year attempted to switch to the newly created Oakville North-Burlington riding, where she became embroiled in an ugly Conservative nomination fight last year.

She and her opponent were forced to withdraw amid allegations of dirty tricks on both sides. Late last month, the governing party barred her from running anywhere due to the alleged misconduct in Oakville.

In an interview Wednesday with Winnipeg radio station CJOB, Liberal Leader Trudeau conceded Adams’ baggage did give him pause when she approached him about switching parties.

“Certainly, there is always a reflection to be had around this. But Eve has been a very strong local voice, municipal councillor for many, many years, deeply committed to service.”

Trudeau indicated that Adams’ willingness to do some tough slogging in a difficult riding was central to his decision to welcome her into Liberal ranks.

“One of the things that we agreed is that she’s going to have to convince an awful lot of Liberals and local folks that she is the best voice for them … and then she’s going to take on someone who is a pillar of the Conservative party to demonstrate her strength and her value as a politician.”

Oliver did not appear overly concerned, noting in a statement that the Liberals have yet to nominate a candidate to run against him. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

April 1, 2014 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Dimitri Soudas fired as Conservative Party executive director

Dimitri Soudas has been forced out as the Conservative Party of Canada’s executive director after trying to interfere with his fiancée’s Conservative nomination battle.

Soudas, who was Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s director of communications in 2011, has been the party’s executive director since December. He worked for Harper for nine years, starting when Harper was the leader of the official opposition. Soudas left after the party won a majority government in May 2011, and took a job with the Canadian Olympic Committee. He left that job just days before the party announced they’d hired him in the top staff job.

The party’s national council was briefed on the move during a conference call at 9 p.m. ET Sunday.

Soudas’s fiancée, Eve Adams, is fighting local chiropractor Natalia Lishchyna for the Conservative nomination in Oakville-North Burlington, a newly created riding that technically won’t exist until the next election. Adams is the MP for Mississauga-Brampton South, a riding that’s being split in 2015.

The Canadian Press has reported that tempers flared when Adams showed up at a riding board meeting March 19, and was asked to leave after an unpleasant exchange. Two separate Conservative sources said one board member threatened to call the police when she stayed on.

Soudas couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

A spokesman for the party confirmed that Soudas “stepped down as executive director” of the party, but wouldn’t comment further. A source told the CBC’s Hannah Thibedeau that Soudas was told to resign or he would be fired.

Conservative Party President John Walsh sent an email to the national council, obtained by CBC News, that named Simon Thompson as the interim executive director.

Thompson is currently the party’s chief information officer. He started last September. Prior to that, he worked for Deloitte in Ottawa. (Source: CBC News)