Fedeli no longer in race

Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli has dropped out of the race to become the next permanent leader of Ontario's PC party.

I have no intention in any way, shape, or form of continuing in the leadership race Fedeli told a news conference in Toronto.

He told reporters that he is focusing on dealing with the infighting and fixing issues within the party.

"I intend to be here at the helm to make sure that they know a trusted person is here that they can rely on a system being put back together.

"I have always believed that we must put team before self. As such I will work exclusively as interim leader to the party.

"It's time to put the party and the province ahead of any one person's personal ambitions. We have a strong caucus, a strong roster of candidates and many more to come. We will have a worthy person chosen at the end of the process to be our party leader, but in my role of interim leader, I said I would work exclusively as interim leader. That means there is no room for a leadership bid from me in this.

"Our party needs somebody at the helm with a very solid hand to be able to work on our real opponent and that is the current government. The challenges ahead are massive. In the five days I've been there I can tell you this is a massive undertaking and I want to be able to do that exclusively."

Earlier, Fedeli announced updates to critic portfolios and positions for the Ontario PC Caucus.



• MPP Lisa Thompson will take the role of Caucus Chair and has been appointed as the PC Caucus representative to the Ontario PC Fund Board. Thompson represents the riding of Huron-Bruce, and will continue to serve as the Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Critic.



• MPP Lisa MacLeod will take the role of Finance Critic. MacLeod represents the riding of Nepean-Carleton, and will continue to serve as the Treasury Board Critic and Anti-Racism Secretariat Critic.



• MPP Lorne Coe will take the role of Education Critic. Coe represents the riding of Whitby-Oshawa, and will continue to serve as the Post-Secondary Education Critic.



“I’m proud that our experienced Ontario PC Caucus has strong female leadership. In her role as Caucus Chair, MPP Thompson will play an integral role in implementing the plan I announced on Friday to strengthen our workplace violence and harassment policies,” said Fedeli.



“As a team, we will continue to work day-in and day-out to hold the Wynne Liberals accountable for years of scandal, mismanagement, and waste, and continue to make the case for change at Queen’s Park."