Travis Chase responds to Chandler / Crutcher campaign

[travischase]

Calgary Fort Constituency Association Press Release October 25, 2005

For Immediate Release:

Subject: Travis Chase responds to threats of legal action by the Chandler / Crutcher Alberta Alliance leadership campaign.

Craig Chandler has outright threatened me with civil litigation for public comments I posted in support of Alberta Alliance leadership candidate Marilyn Burns on October 22, 2005. <a href=http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=46907>Link</a>

The litigation threat has been an attempt to pressure me to fully retract my public comments. I state for the record I stand by my earlier statement and refuse to retract my public statement. I strongly urge Chandler and the Crutcher campaign to make good on their threat and challenge me in court of law.

The Crutcher / Chandler campaign has failed in an attempt to slander my name by comparing me to Belinda Stronach, threatened the death of my Political career, as well as making me the anonymous subject of a recent news release. This is a sign of a desperate, weak and belligerent campaign. These tactics serve as an indication of how Crutcher / Chandler will run the Alberta Alliance Party.

Travis Chase
President

Darryl Kowalchuk
Vice President

Calgary Fort Constituency Association
57 Mount Aberdeen Manor SE
Calgary Alberta
403-697-3012
T2Z-3N8

[Craig B. Chandler]

Calgary Fort Constituency Association Press Release October 25, 2005

For Immediate Release:

Subject: Travis Chase responds to threats of legal action by the Chandler / Crutcher Alberta Alliance leadership campaign.

Craig Chandler has outright threatened me with civil litigation for public comments I posted in support of Alberta Alliance leadership candidate Marilyn Burns on October 22, 2005. <a href=http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=46907>Link</a>

The litigation threat has been an attempt to pressure me to fully retract my public comments. I state for the record I stand by my earlier statement and refuse to retract my public statement. I strongly urge Chandler and the Crutcher campaign to make good on their threat and challenge me in court of law.

The Crutcher / Chandler campaign has failed in an attempt to slander my name by comparing me to Belinda Stronach, threatened the death of my Political career, as well as making me the anonymous subject of a recent news release. This is a sign of a desperate, weak and belligerent campaign. These tactics serve as an indication of how Crutcher / Chandler will run the Alberta Alliance Party.

Travis Chase
President

Darryl Kowalchuk
Vice President

Calgary Fort Constituency Association
57 Mount Aberdeen Manor SE
Calgary Alberta
403-697-3012
T2Z-3N8

Travis,

Three things.

Firstly, after we read your post we attempted to call you. David called twice and left a message and I called twice and left a message. You did not return our calls.

Secondly, there is a lot of misinformation in your e-mail.

You should really learn to read. The only offical Response to your betrayal of David Crutcher who paid for your election signs and stakes etc... in the 2004 race is the letter I have listed below. No other comments are offical David Crutcher Campaign comments.

Your comments that you "...strongly urge Chandler and the Crutcher campaign to make good on their threat and challenge me in court of law" shows that you did not read the letter.

Travis we will only do this as we wrote in our letter "If this information does get out, irregardless if we have our assurances , we will have no choice but to take legal action". If you do not share our numbers that you were privy to, there is no issue.

Please provide evidence that the David Crutcher campaign team threatened your political career? I do not see Brock Kerns listed on our website under the campaign team at www.davidcrutcher.com Thus, we did not threaten your career.

As you will see with the letter below. We have [u]NEVER[/u] asked for a full retraction in any way shape or form.

Why you would continue to attack is beyond any of us?

Thirdly, and most importantly this issue should have never been sent out in a release format from the Constituency Association. You have every right to say what you wish, but you did not consult the 13 members of the Calgary Fort Constituency Association. The party was not impressed with this.

As for the Belinda comment. I stand by it especially after your continued attacks. Thanks for confirming that we are in the lead.

Again read the letter below and you will realize your attacks above are unwarranted.

Respectfully,
Craig B. Chandler

WITHOUT PREJUDICE
Saturday, October 22, 2005

To: Travis Chase
Re: Online Campaign Withdrawal Posting
Bcc: Legal Counsel

Travis,

I write this letter in my official capacity as the Campaign Manager for David Crutcher. I also write to you rather surprised.

I am surprised because of what was pointed out to me today by a friend. What was pointed out to me was a post regarding your decision to support Marilyn Burns.

While it is your right to support whom you wish, the way you did it was obviously for attention and done in effort to hurt the David Crutcher Campaign.

You were fully aware before arriving here at the PGIB National office on Friday, October 21st that you were going to make a public comment about leaving the David Crutcher Campaign. Yet, we fed you and shared confidential numbers with you relating to our campaign.

You claim that you have "...respect for David Crutcher as he helped me out immensely during the provincial election campaign" and that you have "respect" for me. Yet you did not even have the common courtesy of calling David and inform him that you were leaving his team and would be making it very public? This is how you re-pay someone that has helped you immensely? The least you could have done is call David or myself and inform us that you would be leaving. I would hate to see how you would treat people that you do not respect.

As a Calgarian you are obviously aware that PGIB is a serious campaign machine. Thus, your comment of "...with the influence the PGIB exerts" was mentioned in your public post. However, you are very young and new to politics and may not be aware that coalition building is what makes the difference for parties. Having the support of one organization or another does not mean that particular group with have any undue influence.

A perfect example is Stephen Harper leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Mr. Harper was the President of the National Citizens Coalition (NCC) and during the leadership race in the Canadian Alliance his opponents warned that the NCC would soon run the party and that Harper would be nothing but an NCC puppet. The fear mongering was just that, fear and Stephen has not been a puppet of any organization and successfully united the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the former Canadian Alliance into one party. The NCC supported Stephen Harper because he served them well and they were showing their appreciation.

The same can be said for how David Crutcher has served the PGIB well as the Fundraising Chairman for the organization. We have been showing our appreciation for his good service. The key word in the Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB) is the word "Independent". As people like Alderman Ric McIver, former MLA Jon Lord, MP Rob Anders, MLA Art Johnston and many others in the City of Calgary can all clearly testify, PGIB expects nothing in return other then good government. To insinuate that David Crutcher could not be an impartial leader is also an odd comment. All leaders must have a bias or they are no leaders at all, they are fence sitters or LIEberals. Of course Mr. Crutcher as a business owner would favour less government, lower taxes and political accountability over unions, high spending and government graft. We do not want impartial leaders.

Even former Premier Mike Harris and current Conservative Party of Canada leader have some good comments to say about PGIB see http://www.pgib.ca/lobbying/testimonials.htm

"I encourage you to join the PGIB is you have not already and demand a restructuring of the public sector to both cut costs and improve services. It is time to go forward with a common-sense plan to unleash the power of the marketplace."
Mike Harris (Former Premier of Ontario)
January 1994
PGIB Rally
Hamilton, Ontario

"If you want cocktails join the Group downtown. If you want something done join the PGIB."
Stephen Harper (Current leader of the Conservative Party of Canada)
April 1999
PGIB National Convention
Calgary, Alberta

Also, you claim that you do not favour "...David's ad-hoc support for separation as mentioned in the October 18, 2005 debate. I believe such policies should be decided and debated by the membership in a policy convention".

You were not at this debate and did not clarify with David or anyone on our campaign team on what was said. You have based your decision on hearsay and again have showed no respect for someone has helped you "immensely". We taped the entire debate in Edmonton (ask Paul Hinman because he saw the tape recorder right in front of him). Here is David's exact quote on this topic from our tapes: "If the federal Conservative Party under Stephen Harper does not win the next election, which will be in the next six months and it does not appear that they will, I will consult the members and then proudly lead this party in to a new country, the Republic of Alberta". It appears that the members will be consulted, but again no courtesy call to clarify.

Lastly, You urge "...all Alberta Alliance members who wish to vote to consider their choice carefully". We could not agree with you more as it is very obvious that this was a planned and calculated campaign strategy and one that is reminiscent of Beliinda Stronach's move to the Liberals. Belinda Stronach knew she was leaving on the Monday morning, but spent the weekend in Ottawa in training sessions getting valuable information. Travis, you had access to lists and we shared privilege information.

This is where the problem lies. I have been in discussion with Marilyn Burns tonight who 'claimed' to be unaware of the letter, but she understood clearly where we were going from in relation to information. She said "Just like in any law firm when you leave a firm to go to another any proprietary information stays with that firm".

All we request is that you write me back with a promise that you will not share any information that you were privy to in this office. If you "respect" us as you claim to then this should not be a problem for you. However, If this information does get out, irregardless if we have our assurances , we will have no choice but to take legal action.

Again, you have the right to choose where you park your vote and in politics people come and go. Today we lost you but gained the candidate that ran in Lethbridge, Merle Terlisky. We also gained Don Kramer who paid for Marilyn Burns first mailout and is on the Stony Plain Constituency Association Board. Mr. Kramer felt that Marilyn is not Leader material and he should know because he has worked with her very closely. Don commented that David "...is bold enough to take action, is strong and willing to listen". We agree!

Disappointed that you would treat a friend who has helped you out "immensely" and someone you"respect" in this manner. Disappointed that we did not even receive a courtesy call. What you should have learned from Belinda Stronach is what not to do, she was not supposed to be a role model for any self proclaimed conservative.

Disappointed,
Craig B. Chandler
Campaign Manager
David Crutcher Campaign
P: 403-720-1911
F: 403-203-3370
www.davidcrutcher.com