OTTAWA—Lee Richardson, a longtime Progressive Conservative Albertan who was a Conservative MP in Stephen Harper’s government, is weighing a run to become the Liberal candidate in Harper’s former riding, the Star has learned.

In an exclusive telephone interview with the Star from Calgary, Richardson emphasized “no firm decision” has been made but acknowledged a bid for the Liberal nomination in Calgary Heritage “is really what is on the table at this point.”

Richardson, 69, is the former Conservative MP for the riding of Calgary Centre, now held by the Liberals’ Kent Hehr.

Harper, who remained an MP after his party lost the 2015 election, formally stepped down as MP in late August, setting the clock ticking on a six-month period by the end of which a byelection must be called.

Richardson, who has federal and provincial Progressive Conservative roots that go back decades, said, “It’s a big decision, in terms of my background and where I’m from. I’ve been a Progressive Conservative, but I have been a Conservative, and a moderate.”

Richardson said a decision has not been made on either his or the Liberal Party’s side and a nomination race has not been called. But he said, “It’s not a question of partisanship, it’s a question of who can best serve the constituents today at a time when we really need help.”

Once deputy chief of staff to former prime minister Brian Mulroney, chief of staff to former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed, and an MP during two separate periods in Ottawa, Richardson is a cordial and well-known political actor in Calgary. He was an MP in Mulroney’s government from 1988 to 1993, and returned to Ottawa from 2004 to 2012 after Stephen Harper took leadership of the merged PCs and Canadian Alliance.

In Harper’s government, Richardson never made it into cabinet. But he was a popular chair of two key Commons committees — natural resources and international trade — and was well-liked on both sides of the aisle.

He admitted his decision could carry a personal price.

“I may lose some friends on the Reform Party side, I doubt I would lose friends on the Progressive Conservative side, but those are things you consider, and it’s not something I can take lightly.”

Asked what would Stephen Harper think of the prospect his former caucus colleague would run against his old party, Richardson said “I have no idea, you’d have to ask Stephen Harper about that. I have no idea, and it’s not something that would sway my decision one way or the other.”

“I’m a Lougheed Tory, a centrist, a Mulroney Tory, I was never a Reform Party guy.”

He said his reasons for considering a return to federal politics are two-fold.

“First of all I miss it. I miss it a lot. To tell you the truth, I’m sorry I ever left,” he said. “I came out here for a challenge really because of my old mentor and life friend Peter Lougheed who asked me to come back and help out the premier of Alberta at that time (Alison Redford) so I gave up my Ottawa life and my job as an MP. And there wasn’t any job I’ve ever loved more because I’m a kind of constituency MP.”

Richardson served as principal advisor to Redford but did not remain at the premier’s office after she was replaced by the late Jim Prentice.

However, he said he believes Calgary residents are going through a difficult economic period compounded by developments in energy and environmental policy, and he believes he could represent them best within the Liberal caucus, notwithstanding whatever partisan bitterness his decision might cause.

“If there is an opportunity to be a voice in the governing caucus at this time, I think that better serves Calgary now. I mean it’s just a byelection, we’re not changing the government here, it’s not about kicking the guys out or bringing in somebody new, it’s about these people have no member of Parliament and it’s a vacancy in a time when they have no voice and they’re in need of help now. . . . And I look at it and say OK, where are you better served? An experienced strong voice in a government party, or a new person in the opposition?”

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Since leaving the Alberta premier’s office, Richardson said, he has “enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and doing some writing” but did not do any government relations work due to conflict guidelines at the federal and provincial level.

Richardson said working as an MP on Parliament Hill for Calgary constituents was the job that gave him the most satisfaction in his career.

Two Liberal MPs were elected in Calgary in 2015 under Justin Trudeau, including Richardson’s former Calgary Centre riding, now held by Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr, and Darshan Singh Kang won in Calgary Skyview.

As well as the vacancy in Harper’s Calgary Heritage riding, former cabinet minister Jason Kenney resigned his seat in Calgary Midnapore to run for the provincial PC leadership in Alberta.

The Conservatives have nominated Bob Benzen as their candidate in Harper’s old riding.

Benzen is a small business owner and longtime activist who last year launched a billboard campaign to thank Harper for his service to the party.

Richardson said Harper’s riding is “much more demographically similar although not quite as culturally diverse and socio-economically diverse as my old riding of Calgary-Centre. But yeah, it is where I think, culturally, I would be most at home, and I do have a lot of friends there.”

Liberal Party of Canada spokesperson Braeden Caley said the date of the riding nomination meeting has not been set yet.

In an email, Caley said that, “The Team Trudeau candidate in Calgary Heritage will be decided by local registered Liberals early in the new year.”

“Mr. Richardson is among a variety of talented potential candidates who have expressed interest in running for the Liberal nomination in Calgary Heritage and Calgary Midnapore, and the party is in close communication with them about the process.”

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