Camille Labchuk, right, with Green Party Leader Elizabeth May in this file photo. Labchuk has been booted off the TV reality show Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister because she ran for the Green Party in 2006. Photo special to The Guardian
A 24-year-old P.E.I. woman who entered a TV reality show to re-engage youth in the political process has been booted off the show.
The CBC, the producers of the show, told Camille Labchuk she was being removed as a contestant on the show, Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister, because she ran as a candidate for the Green Party in 2006.
But Labchuk, the daughter of P.E.I. Green Party Leader Sharon Labchuk, says the CBC has known about her political involvement for more than two months, but only removed her hours before the first set of semifinalists was going to be chosen. She’s contacted a lawyer, and she intends to fight the decision.
“This is like Elections Canada confirming a candidate and then the night before the election, when they’re in first place in the polls, telling them they’re kicked out,” Labchuk told The Guardian.
There is a lot at stake.
The top cash prize is $50,000 and a paid internship.
The contestants also get to rub shoulders with the celebrity judges, including former prime ministers.
Last year, former Prime Ministers Paul Martin, Kim Campbell and John Turner took part along with current Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams.
The rules do say those who run for political office can’t be in the show.
Labchuk said not only was she recruited by the producers of the show, she has emails from the show’s producers saying her political background would not affect her participation.
Furthermore, it took the CBC more than two months to tell Labchuk she was being booted.
The CBC admits the producers made a mistake by telling Labchuk they would override the rule and allow her in the show, even
with her political background.
In a story posted on the CBC’s website, the public broadcaster says it has apologized to the P.E.I. contestant, but Labchuk remains disqualified.
“For those people who didn’t apply to become participants based on the existing rule, and for the integrity of the brand of the show, if you like, we needed to be consistent and enforce the rules equally across the board,” CBC spokesman Jeff Keay is quoted as saying on the CBC’s website.
There is one other Islander in the running to be Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister.
Ryan Gallant, a 24-year-old from St. Ann’s, is also vying for the nod.
Labchuk has launched an online campaign on her Facebook site in an effort to get the CBC to change its mind.
Already, more than 200 letters has been sent to the CBC protesting its decision.
“This will only fuel the cynicism that we young people already feel towards politics.”
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petr from pei writes: I watched the news last night and heard she wanted compensation .......yeah she would make a good politician for sure-looking after herself! Here's one for you Camille-how about stating you'll give the $ you might get from the CBC to a worthy organization such as the Cancer Society...food bank........
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Oh Well!!!!!! from pe writes: We'll never hear the end of this one will we?? lol If she is linked to the Green Party, she whine, and whine and whine forever. Not actually solving anything, just being annoying as usual.
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obsever from pei writes: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!!
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Kevin Walker from Summerside, PE writes: Wow, Islanders sure love to whine. If any of you were to dedicate all the free time you have to something you were in contention for, only to be kicked out after being invited, wouldn't you be looking for compensation? How much do you donate to the Cancer Society, and food bank petr?
And Oh Well!!!!! I bet you're not even linked to the Green Party and look at you whine away.
And obsever, why do you judge her based on her parents? Painting them all with the same brush? How prejudice and judgemental of you.
I'm not a Green, and I don't even know this girl, but you have to look at it another way, instead of just an outlet for you guys to complain.
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petr from pei writes: I'll put my donations up against yours anytime Kevin......
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jackie from PEI writes: maybe one of the other contestants who followed the rules complained.
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To Kevin Walker from PEI writes: Speaking of judgemental.......
You've felt it right to make YOUR comments on each person's post here. Yet you are dismissing there comments as they don't agree with yours.
Hmmmmm , Thought for the day there eh? Maybe they are wrong, maybe they are right but who died and made you King to decide??
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Tyler Buchanan from PEI writes: Camille, you have my support... I'm sorry for the mess!
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a time for reflection...l from Bonshaw, IPE writes: Rules are rules.
I can't think that such an aspiring young person wouldn't want to follow the RULES even if the producers suggested they could do an 'end run.' It's not ethical.
Surely Camille wouldn't want to particiapte under false pretenses and be viewed as unethical?
And the compensation bit sounds a little greasy. I mean really, it's show about children wanting to become PM.
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little dove from PEI from RR#1 Charlottetown, PE writes: Please enough already. The thing is she was invited. Someone at cbc obviously has their eye on her. She only ran to fill a vacant seat as was said during the election. We all have connections to one thing or another. Let her do her thing after all it is only the semi-finals. Open the doors to these young people. There are others that ran for election and failed but weren't held back when they were asked by another polotical party to join their team. They were even given a cabinet post. So what is the problem. Both parties partook in this with David Emerson and Blinda Stronach. Come folks if the CBC made an error inviting her , then the Labchucks should show some respect and bow out gracefully .
I am sure Sharon Labchuck has big shoulders or is has she been misleading the citizens of Prince Edward Island.
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D.J. from P.E.I. writes: I CANNOT BELIEVE ALL THE NEGITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT THIS POOR GIRL...CBC INVITED HER...CBC SCREWED UP...CBC SHOULD COME GOOD FOR ALL THE TIME SHE WASTED DOING THIS...I DO NOT KNOW THIS GIRL BUT SHE SEEMS LIKE A VERY BRIGHT PERSON. IT ALSO APPEARS TO ME TO ME THAT ALL THE NEGITIVE COMMENTS ARE DIRECTED AT HER MOTHER AND THE GREEN PARTY NOT HER...NOT ONE NEGITIVE COMMENT ABOUT THE CBC WHO CAUSED THIS ISSUE IN THE FIRST PLACE...WOW!!!
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Tyler Buchanan from PEi writes: It's about CAMILLE, NOT Sharon!!!
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frank from summerside, pe writes: Can someone please explain to me where it says she is asking for compensation? Looks to me like she has threatened legal action to continue in the competition, which is her right considering CBC recruited her surely knowing her past. Good luck to her! It's attitudes like some of the ones in these comments which probably drove her to leave the Island in the first place.
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petr from pei writes: yes Frank...go watch the cbc news from last night...thats where it says she is seeking compensation....
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JP from PE writes: I can totally understand why CBC eliminated her but they should have done so from the very beginning. They should not have recruited her and promised that it wouldn't be a problem, let me participate for two months and then disqualify her.
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PEIer from Summerside writes: This is horrible.. I wish you the best of luck camille!
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speedy from PE writes: Good luck Camille, consider yourself as having recieved an injustice by CBC, then again what else could anyone expect from our wonderfull CBC!!!!
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Shawn from PEI writes: petr - I think that considering that she is planning to start law school in the fall, she can find a worthy use for the money. Investment in Education is as important as health. We are talking about youth here, not rich baby boomers with more money than they know what to do with.
In response to those who played the Sharon card -
I think Camille is a lot like Sharon, and that is not a bad thing. They both care more about your children's futures than you yourself.
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John Northey from ON writes: How crazy. CBC asks her to participate, provides documents (emails) stating she can participate then as soon as she could get a reward for participating (vs the CBC getting extra hits [aka $] to their web site thanks to her campaigning) she is disqualified.
Other candidates have broken rules, from video length to being candidates also, but the CBC has no problem with them. Sounds like an easy court case to win to me.
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Andrew Chisholm from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island writes: CBC Producers also invited me to sign-up for their contest. Like Camille Labchuk, I too was a candidate in the 2006 general election.
Camille is not trying to start any trouble. She put hours of work into producing a video and held a public event, all of which is time consuming AFTER CBC gave her the go ahead fully knowing her political background. CBC should be made compensate her hard work or at least allow it to be contested as was originally approved but CBC producers.
I can only assume that if Camille was a Liberal of Conservative candidate that there would be a massive public out cry for justice and that heads would be rolling at CBC. What a sad reality.
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