Leslyn Lewis is officially entering the race to become the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
The MP for Haldimand-Norfolk revealed her candidacy in a social media post on Tuesday, featuring audio from a House of Commons speech suggesting Canadians are “desperate for hope” and “unity.”
“Like it or not, the prime minister needs to take responsibility for his failed leadership,” Lewis said in the video.
“Guarding our freedoms and upholding our democracy means that we need to have compassionate hearts and listening ears.”
Lewis launched a campaign website that is asking for membership purchases and donations.
She also needs help collecting 500 signatures to officially enter the race.
It’s the second run at the leadership for the former Bay Street lawyer, who finished in third place behind Erin O’Toole and Peter MacKay in the 2020 race.
Lewis was also the first-ever Black female candidate to run for the Conservative leadership.
Although entering as a low-profile contender, Lewis picked up 30 per cent of the votes on the second ballot in the 2020 contest before falling behind MacKay by less than five per cent.
Last fall, she was elected as Haldimand-Norfolk’s MP but failed to secure a place in O’Toole’s shadow cabinet.
In late 2021, Lewis sparked comment from a Haldimand-Norfolk public health official amid the ongoing pandemic when she suggested in a social media post parents are concerned about vaccinating children without having any long-term data to review.
“Never have Canadian children been used as shields for adults,” Lewis said in a Twitter post.
Haldimand-Norfolk’s chief paramedic Sarah Page responded to the statements during a public health update suggesting residents should “follow the science.”
“Anytime we see someone that is a trusted and respected member of the public come out with language that is anti-vax, that is possibly not based on science, we do see some response on social media channels that continues the spread of that information beyond what we would hope,” Page said.
“So we encourage people to follow the science and trust your family practitioners, the people who deal with your health on a daily basis.”
Lewis has also been a critic of the Liberal party’s campaign to revoke the charitable status of anti-abortion pregnancy operations, which includes crisis centres.