Elliott, Ford make leadership pitches at conservative conference

OTTAWA — The long-term and immediate futures of the conservative movement were under scrutiny this weekend at the annual gathering of Canada’s right-of-centre.

Candidates for the leadership of the Ontario PC party made their pitches to the grassroots and influencers in three separate panels hastily assembled for this year’s Manning Networking Conference.

The vote follows the resignation of Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown, after he was accused of sexual misconduct. He denounced the allegations as “absolute lies” in an interview with Postmedia, adding that he’s contemplating legal action.

“I know he is trying to clear his name. If he is able to clear his name by the time the election comes forward, then I would have no problem with him running as a candidate,” leadership contender Christine Elliott said when asked whether Brown would have a future in the party if she were the leader. “But that has to happen before, in my opinion, he should be able to run.”

Elliott was the only one of the three PC candidates was asked about Brown’s political future, and also faced far more pointed questions from the moderator about policy and her record than her competitors did. Among the questions: whether as someone who was appointed by current Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne as the province’s patient ombudsman, she’s just part of the so-called Liberal “swamp” the Ontario PCs want to drain. “Absolutely not,” she said. “I’ve always been a proud Progressive Conservative.”

Doug Ford said Saturday he’s confident he can translate a history of electoral success in Toronto into a win provincially — not just in his bid for the leadership, but for the Ontario PCs as a whole.

The third contender, Caroline Mulroney, said her experience in the private sector would serve her well in a political leadership position.