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Featur e


not only reduces paperwork during the writ, but allows for faster filing of the Elections Canada return and, potentially, a faster refund following the election. Candidates can come and go with elections, but Asso-


ciations almost always remain. There is a complicated legal technicality that might allow a person to immediately begin accepting donations that will eventually be accounted for as contributions to a deemed candidate, but the risks in- volved in such an uncertain plan are not worth the effort. As a result, without the local Association even an elected MP would have extreme difficulty raising money after an election. Defeated candidates are often burdened by debt that they cannot afford without the support of the local As- sociation. If the campaign and the Association are not on speaking terms following an election, the former candidate will almost certainly live to regret it. Fortunately, working with the Association is not that complicated.


Not only do you want to keep people happy, but some volunteers do know a lot about the local riding and can help you during the campaign.


All it really requires is treating volunteers with the re-


spect that any person deserves. Start off by meeting the local president and perhaps pay for lunch or a drink. Talk to the person like you would any new business associate and try to create a positive working relationship. Ask about the riding, how the president thinks a campaign should be run, what has or has not worked well in the past and inquire about the Association and the district in general. Show interest in the members and ask whether it would be possible to speak to the executive. If the meeting goes well, you might be invited to join the full executive meeting. If there has been a particularly difficult nomination cam-


paign or appointment, then this might be more complicated. Nevertheless, people always appreciate a kind gesture. Do not wait too long to let them “cool off”, because that might leave them wondering whether they’ve been cut out of the loop. After a day or two, contact important volunteers on the opposing campaigns just to let them know that their commitment is valued and that they are still part of the team. Let them control the conversation, but try to plan individual meetings where you can begin building positive relation- ships. If it is possible, do not leave a first meeting without of- fering good people some sort of role on the campaign team, even if it is undefined. While organizational charts in and of themselves can be overly complicated and political hot-po- tatoes, consider having positions on the organizational chart for the Association president and table offices. Once a relationship is established, keep the president in- formed of what you are doing. As well, be cognizant of


50 Campaigns & Elections | Canadian Edition


whether the president is keeping the executive informed. If not, make sure you have one or two other contacts in the Association. Often, the most trouble can be caused by a board member who seems the least significant. Try to figure out who the potential trouble makers are and treat such peo- ple very kindly. Do not share too much information or give them a way to get even if they decide it to be necessary, but give such people a reason to want to help you personally. One area of common disagreement is how to spend As- sociation money. Remember that the Association is a legal entity. All ex-


penditures require authorization and volunteers will be up- set if bills are submitted after the fact as a fait accompli. Be sure to bring proposals for spending to the Association and explain what they are for. If the executive is difficult, at least you find out before cutting the cheque on the assumption that it will be reimbursed. While you want to be nice about this, it is fair to remind the volunteers who raised the money when there are real disagreements. However, that street goes both ways if you are the new party coming into a large bank account. This back-and-forth relationship with the Association ap-


plies both during and outside of the writ. Not only do you want to keep people happy, but some volunteers do know a lot about the local riding and can help you during the campaign. As just one example, key Association volunteers should always be allowed into the back room of a campaign office. Even if you do not trust some of them, speak to all with a tone suggesting you do. Also allow key volunteers to do their regular jobs. If the local president always runs E- day, do not try to bring in somebody new. If worst comes to worst, include a trusted person as an “assistant” or “co-chair” who can ensure that the work gets done. Remember that the local volunteers are just trying to help, even when they do not quite achieve their goal. Despite the risks, there is no need to fear the Associa-


tions. Local volunteers are almost always committed to their political party and would not intentionally decrease their party’s chances of local success. Quite the contrary, a good campaign manager will respect the local volunteers, build up confidence and long be remembered as the nice person who won such-and-such election, got so-and-so elected or made it fun to lose for the 10th time in a row. The key to success is to recognize and respect all the thankless, expensive and hard work that local volunteers put into the political process. Without them, all the campaign work really would have to be done in 36 days.


Jason Cherniak is a litigation lawyer in Richmond Hill, On- tario. He sits on the Management Committee for the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) as President of Central Region, is the president of the Richmond Hill federal Liberal EDA and managed The Honourable Bryon Wilfert’s successful re-election campaign in 2008. Jason created Liblogs.ca, the unofficial list of Liberal bloggers, and wrote his own popular blog, Cherniak on Politics, from 2004 – 2008.


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