John Ottenheimer considering another bid at PC leadership

The former Tory cabinet minister who came second to Paul Davis in the last provincial Progressive Conservative leadership race is not ruling out another run at the party's top job.

John Ottenheimer narrowly lost the race to the current PC leader in a dramatic third ballot in September 2014, getting 327 delegate votes to Davis's 351.

• Paul Davis to resign as PC leader, 'in best interests of party'

• $45K severance as John Ottenheimer fired as head of N.L. Housing

Now that Davis is stepping down as leader, Ottenheimer is considering if the timing is right for him to re-enter political life.

"It's simply too early. I mean there are so many factors that come into play," Ottenheimer told the St. John's Morning Show Thursday.

"We don't know when the convention will be. We don't know the nature, the form the convention will take. We don't know what the new delegate selection process will be. There are obviously financial considerations. I simply don't know at this time."

I'm keenly interested in political life in the province and public policy.- John Ottenheimer

Premier Dwight Ball fired Ottenheimer as the head of Newfoundland and Labrador Housing in July without cause — a year into his five-year contract. He received 14 weeks' severance, about $45,000, as part of his dismissal.

Paul Davis had appointed Ottenheimer to the post in July 2015, when he was still premier.

Taken by surprise

Ottenheimer, a former health minister, said he was surprised to learn earlier this week that Davis was stepping down.

"The furthest thing from my mind 48 hours ago was the issue of leadership of the PC Party, the party that I have been a member of my entire life. My family supported the PC Party for many, many years," he said.

"I'm keenly interested in political life in the province and public policy as it relates to my fellow Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and I'll continue to see what transpires over the next several months."

Ottenheimer complimented Davis on the job he did "under difficult circumstances" providing opposition to the Liberals since they came to power.

He said he's in no rush to make a decision, speculating that a convention to replace Davis could be "eight, 10, 12, 14 months away," and the next general election isn't set until the fall of 2019.

"So it's difficult to tell. I always say that politics is very fluid."