Ontario Conservative MP Scott Aitchison is preparing to jump into the fray to try to become the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
Mr. Aitchison, who represents the riding of Parry Sound – Muskoka in northern Ontario, briefly announced his intentions early Wednesday evening on his social networks.
“Let’s be bold. Let’s be ambitious and hopeful. Our best days are still ahead of us – let’s work together to get the job done,” he wrote on Twitter, inviting people to sign up for a newsletter on the votezScott.ca site.
The publication is accompanied by a video of about forty seconds, without words, in which we can see the candidate chatting with people, making visits and getting into his van.
The candidate intends to further reveal his ideas next Sunday.
In recent months, Mr. Aitchison has been critical of the Liberal government’s rhetoric regarding the trucker protests, but hasn’t offered as clear support for the protesters as his colleagues.
Aged 49, Scott Aitchison was first read in 2019, before defending his seat last September. He previously served as mayor of Huntsville, between 2014 and 2019.
The member joins in the race six candidates already in the running, namely the mayor of Brampton Patrick Brown, the federal conservative deputies Pierre Poilievre and Leslie Lewis, the former premier of Quebec Jean Charest, the businessman Joseph Bourgault and Ontario Independent MP Roman Barber