National Post View: Finally, a race for Ontario's PC leadership - National Post

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 03 Maret 2015 | 16.14

Patrick Brown, the member of Parliament for Barrie, Ont., and a candidate for Ontario's Progressive Conservative leadership, has certainly shown himself to be a skilled campaigner.

Mr. Brown first entered elected politics as a city councillor in 2000 at the age of 22. In 2003 he was re-elected with 72% of the vote. The next year he sought federal office, losing by fewer than 1,400 votes. He captured the riding for the Conservatives in 2006 and has expanded his margin of victory in each election since, besting the second-place Liberals by more than 20,000 votes in 2011.

On Saturday he added to that reputation, announcing he'd sold more than 40,000 memberships by the 5 p.m. cut-off, to the surprise of just about everyone. Final figures have not been released, but Mr. Brown appears to have at least doubled the total of perceived frontrunner Christine Elliott. Mr. Brown's total is four times the party's current membership, and would seem to put him in position for a serious challenge of Ms. Elliott.

His emergence should avert the coronation towards which the Conservatives seemed inexorably to be heading. That's good news for the party. After losing four consecutive elections, it badly needs a shake-up if it hopes to regain the trust of voters. That can only come from an in-depth assessment of its processes and policies, accompanied by serious debate among the leadership candidates and their supporters, which is now more likely than had first appeared.

His success also raises troubling questions, however. One is the wisdom of linking the leadership to whoever proves best at flogging memberships. The best salesman is not always the most adept leader, nor do the purchasers of instant memberships make the most dedicated base on which to build a party. The personable Ms. Elliott has the overwhelming support of the caucus, those most experienced in the intricacies of Ontario's politics and the challenges of defeating the Liberal government. She has raised far more money than other candidates (three times as much as Mr. Brown at the most recent count) and would present an appealing and moderate alternative to Premier Kathleen Wynne — though what she stands for remains something of a mystery.

Mr. Brown offers some obvious targets for attack should he win the leadership. He is a career politician, with little practical experience outside of that rarefied world and not much stature within it. He has been criticized for refusing to give up his federal seat while campaigning for the provincial leadership. His most substantial endorsement comes from former hockey great Wayne Gretzky. He is strongly pro-life, which is his right but as party leader would be sure to make him a lightning-rod for controversy.

As if he did not have enough baggage, one of Mr. Brown's campaign co-chairs is fellow MPP Rick Nicholls, who sparked an uproar last week by declaring he doesn't believe in evolution. It doesn't take much to imagine opponents' glee at the opportunity to turn the next election into a referendum on Darwinism vs. creationism.

The Ontario Tories had a chance at a broader debate when the leadership race began. Unfortunately, two more substantial candidates — MPPs Vic Fedeli and Lisa MacLeod — withdrew before the deadline for payment of the $75,000 entry fee. Those hoping for a more searching examination of the party's purpose and direction will have to make do with the candidates that remain.

National Post


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