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OTTAWA — Caroline Mulroney says her campaign to lead the Ontario PCs will focus on the theme of affordability in everyday life — and she figures her party can do without the billions in annual revenue it would forgo by scrapping plans for a carbon tax.

That was her pitch Friday to a roomful of conservatives from across Canada, as she gave a half-hour talk on stage at the Manning Networking Conference in Ottawa. For most in attendance, it was their first chance to size up Mulroney, four days after the rookie politician launched her leadership bid.

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“This campaign, this election will be about the fact that Ontarians need to be able to afford to live in their province,” Mulroney said.

“We have to deliver two messages. One, that we have to make life more affordable for Ontarians, and we will do that. But also, after 15 years, there’s an opportunity to think positively about what the future’s about.”

But Mulroney’s talk was light on details about how exactly she would deliver on her promises — not unusual for a young leadership campaign, but a potential problem in an expedited race that ends on March 10.