The Conservatives are meeting this week in Atlantic Canada, the only region of the country where the party failed to win a single seat in last October鈥檚 election.
The party took 14 of 32 seats across the four easternmost provinces in 2011, but lost all of them to the Liberals in 2015.
Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose told caucus members in Halifax that the party plans to 鈥渆arn back the confidence of Atlantic Canadians,鈥� adding that the Liberals are 鈥渢aking this region for granted.鈥�
Ambrose said the Conservatives will be a 鈥渧oice for the taxpayer.鈥� She drew applause when she said 鈥渢he people of Atlantic Canada deserve the Energy East pipeline.鈥� The proposal is popular in New Brunswick, where it would create refinery and shipping jobs.
Ambrose also said Atlantic Canada deserves representation on the Supreme Court. The Liberals have hinted they may do away with the custom of having three of nine judges from Ontario, three from Quebec, two from the west and one from Atlantic Canada.
Another way for the party to potentially rebuild in the region would be to select a leader from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or P.E.I..
It won鈥檛 be former Central Nova MP Peter MacKay. He made it clear Monday that he will not run.
However it could be Lisa Raitt, who represents the Ontario riding of Milton but comes from a family of coal miners in Whitney Pier, Cape Breton, where she recently returned to marry Bruce Wood.
Raitt said Tuesday that MacKay has 鈥済iven so much to Atlantic Canada鈥� and thanked him for his service.
鈥淲hat I cling to is that he said he鈥檚 going to be there to help the new leader ... and we鈥檒l hold him to that because we really need Peter to make sure we build out here again,鈥� she added
Raitt said last week that she has made up her mind on whether to run, but was not ready to say what she had decided.
Ontario MP Erin O鈥橳oole, who is also considered a potential leadership candidate, has an Atlantic connection too. The retired captain and former veterans minister spent part of his military career in Shearwater, N.S.
O鈥橳oole said Tuesday that the Conservatives wanted to meet in the region 鈥渢o show that one of the true disappointments of the election was not having a foothold in Atlantic Canada.鈥�
Erin O'Toole applauds, in Halifax, on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)
Quebecer Maxime Bernier, meanwhile, issued a press release that said he thanks Nova Scotia Conservatives for 鈥渨elcoming me to their province and receiving my campaign to unite all Conservatives behind the principles of freedom, fairness, respect and responsibility.鈥�
Other leadership candidates vying for attention in Nova Scotia this week include Ontario鈥檚 Tony Clement, Michael Chong and Kellie Leitch.
The party will choose its new leader next May. The first of five debates is scheduled for Nov. 10.
With files from CTV Atlantic
