‘Canada’s Trump’ is eyeing top job
: A brash tycoon who has also become a reality TV star aspires to the highest political office in his North American nation. While this may sound familiar, given that Republican Donald Trump will be sworn in as president of the United States on Friday, in Canada, businessman Kevin O’Leary joined the fray on Wednesday for the leadership of the opposition Conservative Party in an attempt to become the country’s next Prime Minister.
He tweeted: “It’s official, I’m in! The Conservative Party of Canada needs a candidate who can beat (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau and bring back jobs to this country!”
He also posted a video of the formal announcement and a statement on his campaign website, which begins: “Canada cannot afford another 4 years of Justin Trudeau.”
Echoing Trump’s outsider rhetoric, O’Leary said, “Canadians are looking for a Prime Minister who is not a career politician; a Prime Minister who will fight for them, and is not afraid to tell them how it is.”
In fact, he even mentioned Trump in the statement: “Now, with the election of Donald Trump to our south, Canada’s largest trading partner is headed by a businessman with an aggressive strategy that could hurt the Canadian economy. Trudeau doesn’t stand a chance, and we deserve better.”
O’Leary, who co-founded the mutual fund company O’Leary Funds Inc in 2008, is worth approximately $300 million but has gained name recognition from his appearances as an abrasive investor in the reality shows, Shark Tank in America and its Canadian version, Dragon’s Den.
After speculation since Federal elections in late 2015, he finally announced he is running for the leadership of the Conservatives, to replace former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The party’s version of the primary, the convention, is scheduled for this summer.
The 62-year-old businessman, has an affinity for Trump, as he told the country’s national broadcaster CBC in an interview, “I know Trump. I know his family. I’ve watched him work. I think he’s smart as a fox.”