The Red Tory
Name: Michael Chong Age: 45 Current job: MP for Wellington-Halton Hills, Ont. After six men were gunned down during evening prayers at a mosque in Quebec City, Michael Chong proclaimed that the shooting was no accident. On Twitter, it appeared he was accusing certain Conservative leadership contenders — not to mention U.S. President Donald Trump — of having blood on their hands.
“It’s a direct result of demagogues and wannabe demagogues playing to fears and prejudices,” Chong wrote of the deadly attack. “Politicians talking division, not unity, help normalize hate.” For good measure, he added: “And yes, I’m angry.” Until recently, the Ontario MP was best known for his push under the previous government to pass a democratic reform bill that would loosen party discipline and decentralize power from the Prime Minister’s Office. But Chong is now vying to lead the Conservatives from the centrist branch of the party and calling for a “big tent” movement to win the 2019 election.
For example, Chong supports a B.C.-style carbon tax — using money reaped from the tax to fund a reduction to income tax.
“He’s representing what’s left of the Red Tory legacy in the party,” said David Moscrop, a political scientist at the University of British Columbia.
With the shooting tweet, “I think he captured what a lot of folks were feeling and what very few politicians, especially in the Conservative party, were willing to say,” Moscrop said.
Chong grew up in Fergus, Ont., the son of Dutch and Chinese immigrants — both of whom died in separate car accidents at the same rural intersection, 20 years apart, according to his campaign website.
He completed a degree in philosophy at the University of Toronto, founded a rugby club in his hometown and also created the precursor to Historica Canada, which produces the popular Heritage Minutes and aims to increase awareness of Canadian history.
Chong was first elected in 2004, and has been the MP for Wellington-Halton Hills ever since. After the 2006 election, Chong was named minister of intergovernmental affairs and sport for the Harper Conservatives. However, he abruptly quit over his opposition to a government bill declaring the Québécois “a nation within a united Canada.”
He said at the time that he could never support what he saw as “ethnic nationalism” in the bill.
He is married with three sons, and still lives on a farm near Fergus. Chance of winning: While polls have shown Chong with low support, some have said that the ranked ballot system used to elect the leader could favour Chong, who may be many members’ second choice. That could give Chong a path to victory. —Alex Ballingall