In a shocking turn of events, Jonas J. Smith, the Conservative Party of Canada’s election candidate for the Yukon, has been given the boot.

The party’s central campaign has disallowed him from running, said a news release issued by Smith late Thursday afternoon.

“He was informed of the unilateral and final decision to disallow his candidacy earlier today,” the release states. 

“This comes as shocking news to me, my family, my local campaign team and my thousands of supporters across the territory,” Smith said in the release.

“With an election call imminent, this is devastating news for the conservative movement in the Yukon, and I fear will have repercussions across the country.”

Smith’s representatives have told the Star the ex-candidate would not be made available for interviews until next Tuesday – potentially two days after the election is formally announced.

In the release, Smith said his opposition to calls for the implementation of mandated workplace vaccinations and vaccine passport requirements in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause of the party terminating his candidacy.

“I believe in standing up for the rights of all minorities, including those of the unvaccinated – be it for medical, religious or personal reasons – and that our country needs less discrimination, not more,” continued Smith.

“Generations of Canadians have fought for our Section 15 Charter rights, as well as freedom of choice when it comes to matters of bodily-autonomy, and these proposed vaccination-related restrictions will vastly alter what kind of country our children will inherit.

“In an economy struggling to recover, partially because of a shortage of skilled workers, it is unconscionable to shame or threaten to dismiss employees over their confidential medical status, particularly in those industries and populations that are already experiencing high vaccine uptake among their majorities and as such are already at a low risk of viral transmission or severe infection,” Smith added.

“We don’t tolerate that type of discrimination for a whole host of other known health risks, so there has to be a better way to protect our country’s most vulnerable without restricting the movements and livelihoods of perfectly healthy Canadians within their own country.

“A two-tiered society is not constitutional, and it is certainly not normal.”

 In the release, Smith said: “I would now ask people to respect our privacy at this time so that we may begin to process this significant turn of events.

“God Bless Canada. God Bless the Yukon.”

No one from the Conservative Party was available for comment.

Efforts to reach Cory Hann, the media director for the party, by email were met with the message: “Your email was blocked.”

Hann was also unavailable by telephone.

Attempts to contact Dr. Brendan Hanley, now the Yukon’s only confirmed candidate, were unsuccessful. He is the Liberals’ hopeful in the wake of incumbent Larry Bagnell’s pending retirement.

Yukon Party officials told the Star, “We have nothing to add at this point” as to whether any of its MLAs, particularly party leader Currie Dixon, might be interested in replacing Smith.

Jason Cunning is the Yukon’s representative on the Liberals’ national campaign committee.

He told the Star this morning the situation is unfortunate – but also raises major questions.

“On a personal note, I feel some sympathy for the guy (Smith),” Cunning said.

“But it leads to questions about the Conservative Party’s vetting processes. How did we get so deep into the process before this became an issue?”

Smith is encouraging supporters with reactions to his removal to share their comments directly with the Conservative party campaign.

No one has publicly declared an intention to seek the NDP or Green Party nominations in the territory.

See commentary on Bagnell’s career in Opinion section.