A confusion of Conservatives
Meet the contenders, disrupters, long shots and answers to trivia questions as the race’s nomination cutoff finally arrives this week
A reality television personality and political outsider is the perceived frontrunner in a large field of experienced politicians, and to the party establishment’s surprise, could end up leading conservatives into the next election. Sound familiar? Surprisingly, that’s where the Conservative Party of Canada finds itself three months before members vote on who will replace Stephen Harper as leader.
The field remains crowded with 14 candidates. Their chances range from good to virtually nonexistent. But with the two men thought to be heirs apparent to Harper — Jason Kenney and Peter Mac- Kay — on the sidelines, no clear frontrunner has emerged.
Kevin O’Leary, the above-mentioned reality television personality and businessman, certainly has the edge in name recognition. But it remains an open question whether that will translate into support from the Conservative grassroots — although his team claims impressive fundraising and membership sales since entering the race.
A handful of Harper-era cabinet ministers and longtime MPs — Maxime Bernier, Andrew Scheer, Kellie Leitch, Lisa Raitt, Erin O’Toole, Chris Alexander, Mi- chael Chong and Steven Blaney — can all claim some measure of continuity with the former government. But is that necessarily what Conservative members are looking for?
A crowded field is not unprecedented, and the Conservatives’ ranked ballot method for selecting leaders means the outcome is unpredictable. The large number of candidates has meant, however, only the loudest and most extreme policies and statements have made headlines.
But through the noise is one overarching question: Who can best position the party to defeat Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government?
The party will announce its new leader in Toronto on May 27. The Star looks at all 14 candidates vying for the leadership before the final nomination cut-off on Feb. 24.