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But there should also be a much more conciliatory tone than that adopted under Stephen Harper — one targeted in particular at women and urban voters.

Interim leader Rona Ambrose has made great strides in that regard, even if that’s not apparent in polling numbers that suggest Justin Trudeau can defy political gravity. Yet we are only nine months into his tenure and voters have not yet been given sufficient casus belli.

The name of reality television star, Kevin O’Leary, is floated, not least by himself, as a potential Conservative leadership candidate. Given the success of Donald Trump in the U.S., it would take a very careless pundit to dismiss the possibility.

But, as Calandra told Fekete, “it’s not a must but it’s certainly helpful if you have a seat in the House of Commons already.”

Andrew Scheer, the former Speaker of the House, is taking soundings across the country, presenting himself as a “solid conservative” who wants to take the hard edge off a good product.

But Scheer is an unassuming character — he admits he hates to talk about himself — and he might best serve his party by providing some true-blue credentials to the bids of either of the two undeclared candidates most capable of taking on Trudeau in 2019 — Peter MacKay and Lisa Raitt.

Friends say MacKay is genuinely torn about whether to re-enter politics.

He has been active in trade files for his law firm, Baker MacKenzie, and has become a prized commodity post-Brexit vote, with the elevation of Phillip Hammond (to Chancellor of the Exchequer) and Liam Fox (to trade minister) in the U.K. Both were British defence ministers during MacKay’s time in the portfolio.

MacKay is now living in Toronto with his wife, Iranian-born model and human rights activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam, and their two young kids, all of which suggests he may be disinclined to enter the political mosh-pit again.