Ousted former Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown is running again for the party leadership – even though he has been banished from the Tory caucus at Queen’s Park.In a bizarre twist to a saga that has plunged the official opposition Conservatives into further chaos, Brown on Friday filed the paperwork to join the race for his old job.His gambit came three weeks after he resigned as leader following a CTV News report that alleged of sexual impropriety involving teenage girls, and less than two hours before the deadline for entering the leadership contest.Furious, his leadership rivals blasted Brown’s stunning decision. “Our focus should remain squarely on beating Kathleen Wynne in less than 100 days. This is a distraction from that and I am disappointed,” said Caroline Mulroney on Twitter.“As I’ve said before, Patrick Brown made the right decision to step down. A leadership election is not the place for him to try to clear his name,” said Mulroney, a rookie PC candidate in York-Simcoe.Doug Ford echoed that, saying the “party is objectively stronger without Patrick Brown.“The rot that was identified by our interim leader is real and serious. It has served as an obstacle to our victory in June,” the former Toronto councillor said on Twitter.Ford emphasized that “the Ontario PC Party is about more than any one person.”“This is a distraction, Ontario deserves better.”Christine Elliott said “with fewer than 100 days, now is a time for unity.”“I am the leader that can unite the party and beat Kathleen Wynne,” said Elliott, a former MPP, who finished second to Brown in the 2015 PC leadership. Brown’s surprise move happened the same day as he was turfed from the Tory caucus at Queen’s Park, meaning he will be sitting as an Independent MPP when the House resumes Tuesday.“Shortly after becoming interim leader, I asked Patrick Brown ...
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