OTTAWA–Stephen Harper is “supportive” of some early contenders for the leadership of the federal Conservative party, but is staying neutral in the race — at least for now.The former prime minister still has significant influence within the Conservative Party, both as its co-founder and as a member of the board that controls the party’s finances.An associate told the Star that Harper is supportive of a number of those seen as contenders for the leadership, including his former parliamentary secretary Pierre Poilievre and former cabinet ministers Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole.“He’s supportive behind the scenes, but not exclusively or to the exclusion of other candidates,” said Rachel Curran, who served as Harper’s director of policy and now works with his consulting firm.“These are all people he’s worked with for many years,” Curran said. “He has a lot of respect for them. He has his own thoughts on how successful they might be, but those are the type of predictions we all try to make.”Curran said one candidate Harper will not support behind the scenes, however, is Jean Charest. The former Quebec premier, who has not responded to multiple interview requests, is widely expected to enter the race after a decades-long absence from federal politics. It’s unlikely that Harper will openly endorse a candidate, since he is expected to stay officially neutral as a member of the Conservative Fund’s board.But with the race to replace Andrew Scheer about to begin in earnest, neutrality is about to become in short supply in Conservative circles.The Star reported Monday that Poilievre will enter the race backed by John Baird, an influential former cabinet minister, and Jenni Byrne, a skilled organizer who held senior positions in the Prime Minister’s Office under Harper.Two Conservative sources confirmed a National Post report that MacKay, who was leader of the Progressiv ...
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