OTTAWA–Stephen Harper is “supportive” of some early contenders for the leadership of the federal Conservative party, but is staying neutral in the race — at least for now.

The former prime minister still has significant influence within the Conservative Party, both as its co-founder and as a member of the board that controls the party’s finances.

An associate told the Star that Harper is supportive of a number of those seen as contenders for the leadership, including his former parliamentary secretary Pierre Poilievre and former cabinet ministers Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole.

“He’s supportive behind the scenes, but not exclusively or to the exclusion of other candidates,” said Rachel Curran, who served as Harper’s director of policy and now works with his consulting firm.

“These are all people he’s worked with for many years,” Curran said. “He has a lot of respect for them. He has his own thoughts on how successful they might be, but those are the type of predictions we all try to make.”

Curran said one candidate Harper will not support behind the scenes, however, is Jean Charest. The former Quebec premier, who has not responded to multiple interview requests, is widely expected to enter the race after a decades-long absence from federal politics.

It’s unlikely that Harper will openly endorse a candidate, since he is expected to stay officially neutral as a member of the Conservative Fund’s board.

But with the race to replace Andrew Scheer about to begin in earnest, neutrality is about to become in short supply in Conservative circles.

The Star reported Monday that Poilievre will enter the race backed by John Baird, an influential former cabinet minister, and Jenni Byrne, a skilled organizer who held senior positions in the Prime Minister’s Office under Harper.

Two Conservative sources confirmed a National Post report that MacKay, who was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada when it merged with Harper’s Canadian Alliance to form the current Conservative party, is committed to running for leader.

Durham MP and former cabinet minister Erin O’Toole has also put together a formidable campaign team and has been aggressively working the phones to drum up support.

Only two contenders have officially declared their intentions to run: Bryan Brulotte, an Ottawa-area businessman, and Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu, who was first elected in 2015. But Poilievre, MacKay and O’Toole are all expected to formally announce their bids in the coming days.

The big question, however, remains whether Rona Ambrose will enter the race. The Harper-era cabinet minister served as interim leader after Harper stepped down and is regarded as an automatic front-runner should she decide to seek the leadership.

A source close to Ambrose told the Star that she has yet to make up her mind.

Ambrose’s entry into the race would complicate Poilievre’s expected play to portray himself as the party’s Western standard bearer. Poilievre has represented an Ottawa-area riding since he was first elected in his mid-20s, but grew up in Calgary.

Conservative insiders also expect a socially conservative candidate to emerge to push the conversation towards issues like abortion. Most campaigns are expected to appeal to the party’s social-conservative constituency, which makes up a significant portion of the party’s base.

The party announced Saturday that leadership contestants will be expected to raise $300,000 and obtain 3,000 signatures from supporters in seven provinces. The party’s leadership election committee said the high bar for entry is meant to test candidates’ organizational abilities.

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Now that the rules are public, several of the so-far “rumoured” candidates are expected to officially declare in short order.

The Conservatives will select their next leader at a convention in Toronto on June 27.

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