Nova Scotia PC leader endorses Erin O'Toole for Conservative leadership
O'Toole and Jamie Baillie worked shoulder to shoulder in 1999 campaign that saw John Hamm become premier
Just days after publicly chastising Conservative leadership hopefuls Kellie Leitch and Steven Blaney, Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie has endorsed Erin O'Toole for the job.
The two men have a personal connection dating back to the campaign that brought the provincial party back into government in 1999.
"I served with him as a volunteer in the party infrastructure," said Baillie. "I saw him campaign with Nova Scotians across the province on behalf of John Hamm and I know he's a vote winner."
O'Toole, the former minister of veterans affairs, was a Sea King navigator stationed at the Shearwater air base in Nova Scotia in 1997. He also sailed on board the Canadian frigate HMCS St. John's. When he left the Canadian Forces in 2000, he attended law school at Halifax's Dalhousie University.
Baillie said those strong ties to Nova Scotia will give O'Toole the experience he needs, as a leader, to advocate strongly on behalf of East Coast Canadians.
"I'm looking for someone that understands Atlantic Canada and will stand up for us in Ottawa," said Baillie. "Erin has great experience here.
"He understands our needs, whether it's in health care or job creation and we need a strong voice in Ottawa since we have so many Liberal premiers and MPs who have proven they're not going to stand up for us."
Baillie also 'very impressed' with Lisa Raitt
Choosing O'Toole over Cape Breton native Lisa Raitt will likely put Baillie at odds with members of his own caucus, but he said the former transportation minister will rank high on his ballot.
"I'm very impressed with Lisa and she'll be high up on my ballot when the time comes."
The Conservatives are selecting a new leader using a ranked ballot system, where delegates get to choose who they most want as leader, then rank the rest of the field in descending order.
The 14 leadership hopefuls were in Halifax over the weekend to attend the provincial party's annual general meeting. They also took part in a two-hour debate.
"It was Erin's performance in the debate that actually sealed the deal for me," Baillie told CBC News on Monday.