Will Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong run for the leadership of the Conservative Party?
Only time will tell.
In a Jan. 25 telephone interview with the Wellington Advertiser, Chong said “I’ve not yet made a decision.” He hopes to decide in the coming weeks.
Currently, Chong is talking to people across the country, “getting their views on where they think the party and the country should go – and once I’m done gathering their views and advice in the coming weeks, I will make a decision.”
Chong has served as MP since 2004 and won his seat in the most recent election with 50.9% of the vote.
“After the election on Oct. 19, several hundred people contacted me and encouraged me to seek the leadership,” Chong said.
“In early December, I decided to take their suggestion seriously and decided to talk to Conservatives and Canadians to gather information in order to make a decision.”
Chong said he is hearing “a sense of excitement and opportunity within the party … that this is a chance for us to renew the party, to debate policies and to come forward with new ideas to present to Canadians in the 2019 election.”
He said “there is a real sense of optimism and hope, because it is the first time in 10 years that we’ve had a chance to, as part of a leadership race, renew the party. I’m excited about playing a role in the renewal of the party, whether it is as a leadership candidate or in another way.”
For Chong, the leadership race is just one aspect of renewing the Conservative Party.
Chong welcomed the idea of other high-profile Conservatives, such as Peter MacKay, Jason Kenney and Lisa Raitt, vying for the leadership. No candidate has officially confirmed a bid to enter the race, with a new leader slated to be chosen in 2017.
“It is in Canada’s interests to have two strong national parties, each holding the other in check and in balance. When that happens, our system works the best,” noted Chong.
In the short term, Chong said “we have the responsibility to renew the Conservative Party and hold the current government accountable.”
However, he added, “Ultimately it is important to renew the party to present Canadians with an alternative in the next election.”
Chong believes the party needs to “keep a focus on the Canadians we serve and I see this as an opportunity to do that.”
He hopes the party can broaden its appeal to those who have yet to vote.
He believes delaying the leadership decision until May 27, 2017 is a good thing because it will allow for a broad field of candidates to present themselves for contention.
“This will broaden the appeal of the party and allow us to hold a vigorous debate over policy and to select the best leader to lead us into the next election,” he said.
Chong, who introduced the Reform Act that was approved by the Senate in June, said the act will not have a direct impact on the leadership vote.
“Rona Ambrose, our interim leader, was elected under the Reform Act rules. She was elected by secret ballot at the first caucus meeting after the general election. We’ve never done it that way previously,” he said.
Before then, the tradition was for the outgoing leader to, based on consultations with caucus, appoint an interim leader, explained Chong.
Seven candidates put their names forward to be interim leader, so there was a secret ballot with those names.
The caucus voted for Ambrose, he said, “But the vote for the leadership of the party will continue as they have always existed for our party,” Chong said.
As for his family, Chong said “Carrie and our three boys William, Alistair and Cameron are going to be part of this decision.
“The five of us have not yet made a decision, but we’ve talked to the boys that ‘Dad is currently talking to people and getting advice.’”
When the time comes to make a decision in the coming weeks, “all five of us will sit down and make a decision together,” Chong stated.
“It’s a big commitment, not just for me, but the family – so it should be a family decision.”
Since the Oct. 19 election, Chong said a number of local constituents were among those who encouraged him to seek the leadership.
“I’ve always believed that my first job, whether I was in cabinet, on a parliamentary committee or whether I seek the leadership of the Conservative Party, my first job as Member of Parliament is to represent the people of Wellington-Halton Hills,” Chong said.
“[The views of local constituents] are always first and foremost in my mind when I make any decision. The fact is that dozens of constituents contacted me and encouraged me to seek the leadership, encouraged me to take this very seriously.”
