Lisa Raitt

Mudslinging in the race to replace Stephen Harper as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada has officially begun, and candidate Erin O'Toole is staying out of it.

Raitt's strategy to differentiate herself from the negative and divisive politics so prevalent today may just pay off.

Negative politics, Lisa Raitt added, would drive the Conservative party "right into the ground," and cement a Liberal victory in the 2019 election.

"If Kevin wants to run, it’s time to fish or cut bait," said Tory leadership candidate Andrew Scheer. "It is not acceptable to stall or delay in order to avoid the French−language debate."

Stationed behind monogrammed podiums emblazoned with the party logo, the candidates began with a rapid-fire series of 30-second opening statements — many of them punctuated with mediocre French.

On Facebook and in emails to supporters, Leitch hailed Trump's election win as an "exciting message that needs to be delivered in Canada as well."

"They tell us it’s the era of 'sunny ways,’ yet so many can’t see the sun," said Raitt, playing off an oft−used Liberal phrase.

Here is the latest list of who's in, who's leaning towards it and who's out of the leadership race for the Conservative Party of Canada.

The federal government posted a razor-thin $1-billion deficit in 2015-16, a period in which both the Liberals and Conservatives had turns managing the public books.

Her husband, Bruce Wood, was recently diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. The two had married earlier this month.

Quite a few potential candidates remain on the fence.

It’s the latest grassroots effort by the party’s membership to shape the ever−evolving race to replace Stephen Harper.

Weary Liberals limped into June after a bruising stretch. The resignation of Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo and a climb-down on how to handle electoral reform capped off the week.

The push to change the rules to allow Ambrose to run was solidly defeated.