Ex-Conservative MP Mike Allen considers provincial leadership run

Former Conservative MP Mike Allen is considering a jump into provincial politics after being approached by Tory supporters to run for the vacant leader's position.

Allen, who did not run in the last month's federal election after deciding to retire from national politics, told Information Morning Fredericton that he has been approached numerous times to run for the provincial Progressive Conservative leadership.

Allen said he told those supporters that he would consider it, but he wanted to take some more time.

"I wanted to get the federal election out of the way and step back a little bit from federal politics and clear my mind to be able to objectively think about what would I do as a leader, what I would stand for, what I would want to bring forward in terms of thoughtful, considerate type of government and set out some policy positions that I think would be good," he said.

Allen was elected in 2006 as a Conservative MP in Tobique-Mactaquac and was then re-elected in 2008 and 2011.

While he decided not to run in the federal election, he was still visible.

He kept an active presence on social media and campaigned alongside Richard Bragdon, who ran for the Conservatives in Allen's old western New Brunswick riding.

Bragdon lost to Liberal T.J. Harvey as a part of the Liberal sweep of New Brunswick.

Allen said he does not have a timeframe on when he will decide whether he will run for the provincial leadership, which was vacated by David Alward after the 2014 provincial election.

He said he expects leadership contestants will need to announce in the new year.

Several Tory MLAs and other prominent party members have had their names attached to rumours of possible leadership runs, but there are no declared candidates.