PARTY FAVOURS
It’s still early, but Christine Elliott has the most caucus support in Tory leadership race,
It’s no guarantee of a win, but former Progressive Conservative MPP Christine Elliott has taken an early lead in caucus support for the party’s March 10 leadership race.
Elliott, who quit as Ontario’s patient ombudsman last Thursday to join the contest to replace Patrick Brown, has nine MPPs in her camp so far, while investment executive Caroline Mulroney has five and onetime Toronto councillor Doug Ford, one.
“Your vote of confidence means a lot,” Elliott tweeted Wednesday.
Not including Brown, who resigned Jan. 25 following allegations of sexual misconduct he calls “false,” another five MPPs are staying independent in the race.
Seven others apparently remain undecided or undeclared, including Sam Oosterhoff of Niagara WestGlanbrook.
The 20-year-old tweeted he is looking for a candidate showing “value for life & the rights of parents,” nods to his anti-abortion stance and belief moms and dads should control the sex education their children receive in school.
Leadership candidates have been using their social media accounts to flag prominent supporters — including federal MPs, PC candidates for the June 7 provincial election and notable politicos, such as Toronto councillor and deputy mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who is backing Mulroney for her “star potential.”
With a Feb. 16 deadline for signing up new party members fast approaching, the leadership camps hope the glow of endorsements will bear fruit.
All three contenders have been hammering home the need for supporters to sign up online or on paper and pay the $10 fee so they can vote when balloting begins in the first week of March.
“There’s only nine days left to buy or renew your @ontariopcparty membership!” Mulroney, whose father is former prime minister Brian Mulroney, tweeted Wednesday. “Must be a PC member so you can vote. Get yours at http://FordForLeader.ca ),” Doug Ford’s campaign @FordNation posted on Twitter.
Ford, a successful businessman and brother of late mayor Rob Ford, has lamented the short time frame for memberships.
He’s complained that the Feb. 16 cut-off is too soon given voting doesn’t begin until March 2.
Elliott’s caucus backers are mindful of lessons learned in her bruising 2015 defeat by Brown, who sold more party memberships and won the leadership by a margin of 62 per cent to 38 per cent.
Only a handful of MPPs supporting Elliott in that race — by the end she was backed by 19 of 28 — managed to deliver the support of their ridings to her.
“Don’t take anything for granted,” Elliott campaign co-chair Todd Smith, MPP for Prince Edward— Hastings, said Wednesday, arguing Elliott has the necessary experience to lead the party in a campaign against Premier Kathleen Wynne.
“It’s going to come down to who can organize quickest and most efficiently,” he added. “You’ve got to get out there and talk to people and make sure they get out and vote.”
Aside from Smith, the MPPs supporting Elliott are Ted Arnott, Randy Hillier, Jim Wilson, Lorne Coe, Ernie Hardeman, Michael Harris, Randy Pettapiece and Bill Walker.
Mulroney enjoys the backing of veteran MPPs John Yakabuski and Norm Miller, son of former premier Frank Miller, along with MPPs Jeff Yurek, Bob Bailey and Monte McNaughton, who ran in the 2015 leadership and quit shortly before the vote, throwing his support to Brown.
Raymond Cho, the MPP for Scarborough-Rouge River, is supporting Ford, saying “we need a proven leadership that can win seats, not only in the traditional PC ridings, also in Toronto.”
The following MPPs have also not yet declared support, according to a Star survey: Toby Barrett, Sylvia Jones, Gila Martow, Jim McDonnell, Rick Nicholls and Laurie Scott.
MPPs staying independent are finance critic Lisa MacLeod, deputy leader Steve Clark, caucus chair Lisa Thompson, leadership election organizing committee member Julia Munro and interim PC leader Vic Fedeli.