Rona Ambrose has been keeping the blue light of conservatism burning bright, but she is, in the end, only the interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Well, the search to permanently replace Stephen Harper begins today with the announcement from the CPC that they’ve saved the date for their leadership convention: May 27, 2017.
This the press release from the Conservatives posted today:
OTTAWA – The Conservative Party’s Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) met in Toronto this past weekend to discuss the process for the Party to elect its next leader. Among the items discussed, LEOC selected May 27, 2017 for Conservative Party members to elect their next leader.
Conservatives from coast to coast to coast will be taking part in an important piece of our Party’s history, and will be making an important choice for the future of Canada. The process for replacing this Liberal government with a Conservative government effectively begins now.
“By choosing May 27, 2017, this will allow for a time frame that not just provides an exciting and competitive race for our members and all Canadians, but keeps it an open and fair contest for all potential candidates.” said Dan Nowlan, Chair of the Leadership Election Organizing Committee.
In order to vote in the Conservative Party of Canada’s leadership election, you must hold a valid Conservative Party membership. We encourage anyone interested in voting in the leadership election to purchase or renew their membership now to ensure they’re eligible to vote on May 27, 2017.
Other decisions surrounding the rules, the candidate application, and other items will be discussed amongst LEOC in the coming weeks, and announcements will be made accordingly when these decisions are known.
No location has been named for the convention yet, but that will likely be amongst the further announcements in the coming weeks.
No one has officially entered the race yet, but much of the conversation in the last week has been about the possibility of businessman/Shark Tank judge Kevin O’Leary throwing his hat in the ring. A Mainstreet Research poll for Postmedia released yesterday showed former Justice Minister Peter MacKay leading the pack of supposed nominees with 25 per cent, with O’Leary a close scond at 23. Alberta MP Jason Kenney came in third at eight per cent, while Quebec MP Maxime Bernier and Milton MP Lisa Raitt tied at four. Ontario MP Kellie Leitch rounded out the slate at three per cent, while nearly one-third of those polled said they were undecided.
We’ll be talking more about the O’Leary’s entry into politics, and the implications on the Conservative leadership race this Thursday at 5 pm on the next episode of Open Sources Guelph.
Open Sources Guelph 