Over the weekend, I got a call from a public opinion research company who was doing a survey on the Conservative leadership race. While many of the questions were fairly loaded or leading when it came to things like carbon pricing, and there were a lot of questions relating to just how progressive one thinks a future Conservative leader should be, I was most fascinated by the testing about potential candidates. There was an open-ended opportunity to provide a name that one might think could entice voters to switch to the Conservative party, followed by a list of names where one was invited to rank how much it would make you switch your vote for the Conservatives. That list: Gerard Deltell, former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, Doug Ford, Jason Kenney, Jean Charest, Peter MacKay, Rona Ambrose, Lisa Raitt, Pierre Poilievre, Erin O’Toole, and Christy Clark. The inclusion of Carney is a head-scratcher considering that there was a Big Deal a few years ago about his apparently sniffing around the Liberals about a possible future leadership bid, while the fact that Michael Chong was left out despite his previous leadership run and the fact that he has stated he is seriously considering another go of it. So anyway, make of the list what you will, but those are the names that someone is testing.

Meanwhile, the first “official” declared candidate is Bryan Brulotte, a one-time Progressive Conservative staffer and failed candidate, who is pitching a negative income tax and “luxury tax” in lieu of a carbon price. Pierre Poilievre is also planning to announce his candidacy today, with John Baird chairing his campaign – though one wonders if that will conflict with his post-mortem report on how the party botched the election.

On that note, here’s Jess Morgan’s argument why he would be the absolute worst thing, while Paul Wells sizes up what we know of the race to date, and what kinds of choices the party faces in the process.

Good reads:

• Justin Trudeau has a post-vacation salt-and-pepper beard, and people are losing their minds about it.
• Chrystia Freeland met with the mayor of Edmonton, who expressed concerns that Jason Kenney’s “Fair Deal” plans will hurt cities.
• Harjit Sajjan says that Canadian forces in Iraq have moved some non-essential personnel to safer locations in the wake of the US airstrike on the Iranian general.
• The Star has a profile of new public services minister Anita Anand, and the wealth of experience in governance that she brings to the Cabinet table.
• Justice minister David Lametti talks about his plans for the year, including UNDRIP legislation and setting up a commission for the wrongfully convicted.
• The new National Security and Intelligence Review Agency is looking into allegations that the RCMP worked with the FBI to entrap a mentally ill suspect.
• Seaspan shipyards have spent through their contingency reserves while delivering promised Coast Guard science ships, and they’re behind schedule.
• Here is a look at the state of the Centre Block renovations at the end of the first year, which has involved a lot of digital mapping, and opening up walls and ceilings.
• On a related note, here’s an update on the plans for the Supreme Court of Canada’s temporary new home for when their building also undergoes needed renovations.
• There was a saga around poems by someone convicted of killing an Indigenous woman that were up on the parliamentary website, and their subsequent removal.
• Prince Harry and Megan, Duchess of Sussex, are thanking Canadians for their hospitality during their recent private vacation here.
• Senator Peter Harder is complaining that the ethics rules don’t allow the Senate Ethics Officer to protectively investigate complaints.
• Here’s a reflection on Scott Reid’s admission to lying to reporters – and the House – about his removal as critic as punishment for breaking party discipline.
• Kady O’Malley’s Process Nerd column looks at the in-person fundraising events that happened during the recent election campaign.
• Kevin Carmichael profiles the work of the CEO of CMHC and his attempts to change the culture not just of his organization, but how things work in Ottawa.
• Carmichael also looks into current demographic trends and what they are signalling about Canada’s economic resilience and future growth.
• Paul Wells has a meditation on true believers, big tents, conviction and pragmatism, in light of choices facing the Democrats in the US and Labour in the UK.

Odds and ends:

In case you missed them, my columns on the problem with political neophytes in the Senate, and how “civility” is smothering Responsible Government in PEI.

My latest Loonie Politics video talks about what we’ve learned about the upcoming Conservative leadership contest.

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