WATCH ABOVE: Days after crossing the floor to join the Liberal Party, Eve Adams has revealed where she intends to run in the federal election.
OTTAWA — The Liberal’s newest MP is vying for a nomination in Toronto’s Eglinton-Lawrence riding which would pit her against federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver.
Adams, once a rising star in the Conservative caucus, announced on Monday she was crossing the floor to Justin Trudeau’s Liberal team. At the time, neither would say exactly in which riding she would seek a nomination, saying only it would be in the Greater Toronto Area.
In an interview on CP24 Wednesday, Adams revealed she would be seeking nomination in Eglinton-Lawrence.
READ MORE: Eve Adams’ former rival welcomes her to the Liberals
Oliver didn’t have too much to say about the announcement, pointing out Adams is still not running against him; she has to first win over the Liberals in the riding association and earn the nomination.
So, he’s not going to spend much time thinking of what might come of campaigning against his former caucus colleague, Oliver said Wednesday.
“In the meantime, I will continue to do what I have done for the last four years: represent the values and interests of the people of Eglinton-Lawrence,” Oliver wrote in an emailed statement.
During her surprise announcement this week, Adams said she’d arrived at her decision after a lot of thought and soul-searching. It was difficult, she said, but she felt she could no longer support and work with “fear-mongers and bullies.”
Adams was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2011 general election, taking the seat from the Liberals, who had held the riding since it was formed in 2004.
In an interview with Global News this week, the Liberal incumbent she beat, Navdeep Bains, said he was happy to have her on the team, describing her as a tough competitor.
Today’s announcement, however, surely comes as bad new to Mike Colle, the provincial representative in Eglinton-Lawrence.
Earlier this week, he said any move from Adams to run in the riding, which he has represented provincially for 20 years, would happen “over my dead body.”
Colle questioned how someone could parachute from the outskirts of Toronto to a central riding — does she have connections or any understanding of the issues facing the riding, he asked.
After winning the Mississauga seat federally in 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Adams parliamentary secretary to the veterans minister then, more recently, to the health minister.
Before making the move to federal politics, Adams had spent eight years on the municipal council in Mississauga, Ont.
The year leading up to Adams’ defection was raft with controversy.
READ MORE: Who is Eve Adams?
In May, the Conservatives were forced to delay the nomination vote after a bitter battle erupted between Adams and fellow Conservative nomination candidate Natalia Lishchyna in Oakville North-Burlington.
The decision to call off the scheduled vote was taken after the teams of both candidates released audio recordings supporting their respective claims of wrongdoing.
Adams’ team had been accused of paying for the memberships of supporters, alleged donations that are illegal under the Elections Act. Adams in turn has accused Lishchyna of improperly using data research firms to phone members at home.
READ MORE: Why did the Liberals want Eve Adams?
Finally, in August, Adams dropped out of the contentious battle, citing health reasons.
Then, just last month, she was told she couldn’t run for the Conservatives in 2015 in any riding.
Party president John Walsh said Monday he wrote to Adams on Jan. 29 informing her she would not be permitted to run on account of “the misconduct” from her previous nomination battle. This letter came after Adams had requested permission to run in another Toronto-area riding, Walsh said.
With a file from The Canadian Press
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