Patrick spoke with many old friends and supporters in Ottawa

Highlights, but full article above

Takedown: The Attempted Political Assassination of Patrick Brown, has sold more than 7,000 copies so far, according to publisher Dean Baxendale.

In the book, Brown made a number of explosive claims, including that Ottawa-area MPPs Randy Hillier and Lisa MacLeod were “ring leaders” behind his sudden forced exit as party leader.

“Winning a nomination is like winning a seat. We have candidates spending $100,000 on nominations,” he said. “Every political party has challenges with nominations.”

He was also critical of the the political staffers who resigned en masse shortly after the CTV story about him in January. “We hired mercenaries. We brought them in. People who quit that night were mercenaries. When you have mercenaries, their loyalty is to themselves, not the campaign.”

Some members of Saturday’s audience said the events that led to Brown’s resignation had left them disillusioned.

“I found it really distasteful what they did to him,” said Anita Walden, who described herself as a long-time Conservative volunteer. “How could people that you trusted turn their backs on you?”

Added Debbie Jodoin, a former Eastern Ontario Conservative organizer: “I stand with the man. He’s truthful, he’s honest.”

Jodoin says she’s now on the outside of the Progressive Conservative party, looking in, and has never been happier. “I’m a strong Conservative. But people don’t see it that way because I support Patrick Brown. It’s not my party anymore.”