The 54-year-old Nova Scotia native stepped down from politics in 2015 just before Harper lost to Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party. As leader of the Progressive Conservative party, MacKay helped form the current Conservative Party of Canada after the Progressive Conservatives merged with the Western-based Canadian Alliance in 2003. Like Trudeau, MacKay is also the son of Canadian politician — his father was a cabinet minister in former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s government. Trudeau is the son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Current Conservative leader Andrew Scheer stepped down last month after weeks of infighting following a disappointing performance in October’s election.

Source: Washington Post January 25, 2020 16:30 UTC