The Conservative party leadership candidate named a national newbie as his campaign director, the Western Standard has learned..Jeremy Liedtke will take on the role spearheading the campaign to replace ousted leader Erin O’Toole, said a source close to Poilievre..Liedtke, who was listed as an intern as late as 2018, has been the Ottawa-Carleton MP’s campaign head for the last two federal elections..“Ask anyone on the Hill. He’s brilliant. He’s hard-working. He’s well respected. He’s a workhorse,” said the source..“Pierre doesn’t empower idiots.”.The source confirmed this is the first time Liedtke will have worked on a national campaign, adding it was all part of Poilievre’s plan for party renewal..The source said political scuttlebutt has some MPs urging Lethbridge MP Rachael Thomas to run. When contacted by the Western Standard, Thomas said she wasn’t considering it..Quebec MPs are urging former Conservative leader Jean Charest to run..Over the weekend, Poilievre became the first announced candidate to replace O’Toole who was given the boot Feb. 2..Tory MPs voted 73-45 to remove O’Toole during a secret ballot Wednesday morning. Only a 50% vote was needed to oust him as leader..O’Toole had issued a warning saying removing him as leader would mean a dangerous shift to the right, and threw out the names of Derek Sloan and Randy Hillier..“The other road is to better reflect the Canada of 2022. To recognize that conservatism is organic, not static, and that a winning message is one of inclusion, optimism, ideas and hope,” said O’Toole..“It’s time for a reckoning. To settle this in caucus. Right here. Right now. Once and for all. Anger vs. optimism. That’s the choice in simple terms. I will accept the result of this vote. The signers of this letter must accept it, too. They brought it. They’ll have to live with it.”.The vote throws the party into another leadership race, the second in 18 months..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
