TORONTO — The interim leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party says the Tories have just over 133,000 members — some 67,000 fewer than claimed by former leader Patrick Brown less than a month ago. In an e-mail to the PC caucus obtained by The Canadian Press, Vic Fedeli says checks of the party’s membership system this week turned up the discrepancy. “My most important priority as Party leader is to hand over to the winner of the upcoming leadership race a strong, clean, and ethical PC Party for them to take into the next election,” Fedeli said in the email. Earlier this week, the 61-year-old Fedeli made a surprise announcement that he would not seek the permanent leadership of the PC Party, opting instead to “root out the rot” as interim leader. Hours later, party president Rick Dykstra resigned before Maclean’s reported sexual assault allegations against the former federal Conservative MP.

Source: National Post February 04, 2018 01:43 UTC