Conservative MP Lisa Raitt said her party needs to quickly figure out what went wrong in Mondayâs election, including why the party failed to âconnectâ with women between the ages of 18 and 49.
âWhy did they become attracted to the Liberals?â . âWas it policy? Was it personality?â
âI donât know, but we certainly need to figure that out, and we need to figure that out quickly.â
The outgoing transport minister managed to win the Toronto-area seat of Milton on Monday night, while fellow GTA cabinet ministers Joe Oliver, Julian Fantino and Chris Alexander went down in defeat.
Raittâs name has been circulated by pundits as a possible successor to Stephen Harper, who resigned as leader as the results rolled in.
Raitt wouldnât say whether she plans to run for the top job, adding her party needs âa conversationâ about what went wrong before selecting a new leader.
Raitt pointed out that the Conservatives managed to secure nearly 100 seats, so it wasnât âan abysmal showing.â
âWhatâs heartening for me is that people do like our policies,â
Raitt cautioned about pegging the failure to win government on âone man, the leader.â
âThatâs a dangerous step,â âIt isnât about necessarily one person, itâs not about one campaign. It has to be a combination of things and weâve got to figure out what it was.â
Calgary MP Jason Kenney, who held the high-profile immigration and defence portfolios, is also seen as a possible leadership contender.
He told The Canadian Press Tuesday that the party needs âa conservatism that is sunnier and more optimistic than what we have sometimes conveyed.â
Prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau began his victory speech Monday by quoting Wilfrid Laurier, saying that âsunny waysâ and a âpositive campaignâ helped the Liberals win.