OTTAWA—Maxime Bernier is backing away from his controversial suggestion that “fake Conservatives” won Andrew Scheer the Conservative Party leadership.

Bernier, who came a close second in the party’s 2017 leadership contest, is indefinitely postponing the release of his political memoirs that were due out in November this year.

“I realize that whatever I write, it will always be interpreted as me creating division and challenging our leader,” Bernier, who declined interview requests, wrote on Twitter.

“This book and the ideas it contains are very important to me. But now is not the right time to publish it. After consideration, for the sake of maintaining harmony within our party, I have decided to postpone its publication indefinitely.”

In an excerpt released last week, Bernier alleged the Quebec dairy lobby, unhappy with his position on axing the industry’s protections, signed up “fake” Conservative Party members to block his leadership bid. Bernier suggested those members were the decisive reason he lost to Scheer.

“(Scheer) did what he thought he had to do to get the most votes, and that is fair game in a democratic system,” Bernier wrote. “But this also helps explain why so many people are so cynical about politics, and with good reason.”

A woman who answered the phone at Bernier’s Parliament Hill office said the Beauce MP would not speak to the media Wednesday, but could not give a reason when asked. Bernier has refused repeated interview requests over the past week.

His Conservative caucus colleagues, including a former leadership rival, were not so tight-lipped.

Durham MP Erin O’Toole, who placed third in the leadership race, said Bernier’s decision to cancel the book is “personal.”

“Usually, memoirs are done at the end of a political career, so I think this is good. It means he’s going to run for us and help us form government after the next election,” said O’Toole.

“I think everyone grumbles after a leadership. Look, it was frustrating for me to lose. But I think Andrew’s been doing a spectacular job, and I think Max sees that first hand.”

Marilyn Gladu, a first-term MP from Sarnia who supported Scheer in the leadership, said she was glad Bernier decided to pull the book.

“I thought it was a distraction from the timing point of view, and it was really old news in terms of everybody understanding what he said at the time of the leadership race,” Gladu told reporters.

“I think you’ll continue to see a unified Conservative Party going forward, and Maxime has said that within the confines of our walls and he’s said it outside as well.”

Gladu confirmed the matter was discussed at the Conservative Party’s caucus meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday, but declined to give any details about the discussion, citing caucus confidentiality.

“Within the caucus, it was discussed and I think the party came out with a unified front.”

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Scheer, however, has not commented publicly on Bernier’s allegations, and Bernier remains the party’s innovation critic. Scheer’s office refused to confirm Bernier’s decision to pull the book Wednesday, and declined to comment on the Quebec MP’s assertions last week.

Bernier’s book, dubbed Doing Politics Differently: My Vision for Canada, was due out in November from Optimum Publishing International. Optimum publisher Dean Baxendale did not respond to phone calls and emails Wednesday afternoon.

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