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John Tory received a key endorsement in a campaign dominated by transit issues when federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt on Monday became the latest Conservative MP to back his bid for the mayoralty.

Speaking in the home of a Tory campaign volunteer, Ms. Raitt said she was there to “endorse somebody who can work with all levels of government to move in the right direction.”

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Nevertheless, she stopped of short of promising federal dollars for Mr. Tory’s SmartTrack transit plan, which involves building a “London-style surface rail subway” spanning the city.

“I cannot stand here today and indicate that I have a cheque for you, John, I’m terribly sorry about that,” she said.

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The endorsement is the strongest indication yet that Mr. Tory is the federal government’s preferred partner in Toronto’s leadership.

“There’s absolutely no surprise here,” said Nelson Wiseman, a political scientist at the University of Toronto, noting the recent news that Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered to meet with Mr. Tory during the summer.