TORONTO — Former prime minister Brian Mulroney's daughter is seeking to run for the Ontario Progressive Conservatives in next year's provincial election, adding some potential star power to a party looking to unseat an unpopular government.
Caroline Mulroney, the vice-president of an investment firm, announced on social media Wednesday that she will seek the nomination in York-Simcoe, north of the Toronto area.
The riding has been held since 1995 by Progressive Conservative Julia Munro, who is retiring. Munro tweeted Wednesday that Mulroney has her full support.
In an announcement on Facebook, accompanied by a YouTube video, Mulroney said that as a working mother of four she knows change is needed in Ontario so people can thrive.
"To do that we need a government that focuses on affordability, manages our taxes properly, so we get the services we expect — like reliable health care and a quality education system that links to jobs," the 43-year-old said in a statement.
The Progressive Conservatives attracted the star potential candidate at a time when they are polling consistently ahead of the governing Liberals.
Mulroney's polished nomination campaign launch echoed familiar Progressive Conservative messaging as she positioned herself as a solid Tory choice.
"After 14 years of Liberal governments, life has become more difficult for hard-working Ontarians," Mulroney wrote in her Facebook announcement. "With my experience, I will be a strong team member that will help form an effective PC government in 2018."
Party leader Patrick Brown wrote on Twitter that he is "thrilled to see such exceptional individuals like (Mulroney) step up to seek a nomination" for the party.
The meeting where Mulroney will learn if she has secured the nomination to run in York-Simcoe is set for Sept. 10. The provincial election will be held in June 2018.
Mulroney is the vice-president of Toronto-based BloombergSen Investment Partners.
Formerly, she worked at a venture debt fund, as a lawyer in New York City, as the associate director of the New York University Center for Law and Business, and an analyst in investment banking at Bear Stearns & Co. Inc.
She also co-founded the Shoebox Project for Shelters, which collects and distributes gifts to women who are homeless or at risk, and is on the board of directors of the Hospital for SickKids Foundation and the Fraser Institute.
Mulroney also used to be a member of the board of directors of the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority.
Her father, Brian Mulroney, was the Progressive Conservative prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press
