TORONTO

If the next U.S. president ends up being the TV star and business mogul famous for his hair, it’s only fitting Canada’s next prime minister could be a TV star and business mogul famously proud of his lack of it.

Of course the notion of Kevin O’Leary running for Canadian politics was immediately compared to the phenomenon of Donald Trump’s presidential bid.

Those close to the new prime minister with “nice hair” are paying attention. After months of nothing but Liberal wins, just when Conservatives were about to jump off the CN Tower, along comes a shark, dragon and perhaps hero in a blue cape.

Mr. Wonderful, of Shark Tank and Dragons’ Den TV fame, seized that opportunity.

“Canada is broken and there is nothing wrong with being a guy who would like to fix it,” O’Leary tells me on a busy Thursday for the entrepreneur, TV star and perhaps next prime minister of Canada?

“To be elected to run the country, it’s best if you are heading a political party and I don’t think the NDP are going to be calling.”

But if he does decide to take a shot at the top job as a Conservative, O’Leary wouldn’t be doing so alone, the Sun has learned.

O’Leary says he’s “reaching out” and recruiting smart people he respects to join him in the quest to make Canada “the best product” to sell to investors globally.

“Many are personally excited,” he says of his all-star team to save the country. “I would offer a slate of talent for people to vote for. The voters will know who would be cabinet.”

O’Leary says he “offers congratulations to Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau on a successful campaign” but hopes future political leaders are “people who have had to make a payroll of a company with at least $5 million in revenue” and know “how to balance a budget.”

He says Trudeau’s “lack of that experience” explains why he handed out “$4 billion in his first 60 days to other countries without creating one job here.”

Jobs and the economy are O’Leary’s priorities — and working well with the U.S. is key.

“As you know, I have worked in both countries,” he says, adding “intelligent” Trump is someone he can work with to make sure both boats float.

People who know O’Leary personally tell me there’s more to him than people realize.

“What you see on TV is not the same as you get when you actually get to know the guy,” says Newstalk 1010 program director Mike Bendixen, adding “he’s very open to seeking advice and learning in areas he’s not an expert.”

O’Leary is also very charitable. He and wife Linda generously support medical, educational and artistic institutions.

Prior to this week, O’Leary wasn’t thinking about politics. It changed after his appearance on the Live Drive with Ryan Doyle on Newstalk 1010 when in frustration he offered “to invest $1 million into energy companies if Alberta Premier Rachel Notley resigns.” After that, when O’Leary was asked, ‘Why doesn’t he run?’ he says he thought it was “a good point and why not?”

Not everyone’s thrilled. Scott Reid, former spokesman for prime minister Paul Martin, called it a “vanity project.” Mayor John Tory wondered if O’Leary had the “patience” for politics, and Liberal MPP Peter Milczyn said O’Leary has yet to “swim with the real sharks.”

O’Leary laughed.

“It’s just noise,” he says.

More important for our young people’s futures, he says, are conversations about making Canada competitive by dropping things like carbon taxes that make the country unattractive to investors.

“On the economy, we are not getting good stewardship and I can do a better job.”

O’Leary hasn’t decided to run, but he says his trial balloon sure was successful. I say go for it, Mr. Wonderful.

joe.warmington@sunmedia.ca