TORONTO, June 28 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The National Post reports today that Stockwell Day has won key endorsements from senior Ontario Cabinet minister Bob Runciman, a former leader of the provincial Tories and support from two key fundraisers of Mike Harris’s Tory government. Mr. Day also won backing from a number of former senior advisors to Tom Long in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. He has previously received the support of several high profile Tories across Canada who were Long supporters.
Preston Manning has been criticizing Day for not being a coalition builder. However, as Lorne Gunter points out in today’s Edmonton Journal, “Manning’s accusation that Day is divisive, that he cannot unite East and West, or social and fiscal conservatives is demonstrably untrue.” Gunter says “Saturday marked the first time in Reform/United Alternative/Canadian Alliance history that Ontario cast more votes than Alberta. And Day won the most votes in Ontario; 1,000 more than native son Tom Long, and nearly 5,000 more than Manning. He won 66 of 135 Ontario polls, to Manning’s 14, and finished second in three-quarters of the polls he did not win. . . quite a coalition.”
Meanwhile the National Post has published rumours that Tom Long may endorse Manning by Friday and also that the Harris Tories in Ontario are looking to snatch up Manning’s top advisor Rick Anderson in case of a Manning loss.