The Progressive Conservative party is a step closer to a replacement for its outgoing leader with the announcement of its first candidate for the interim leadership.
Georgetown-St. Peters MLA Steven Myers confirmed Friday he plans to seek the interim leadership once Crane steps down at the end of this month.
In an interview with The Guardian, Myers said he decided to seek the temporary leadership because he had a lot of people asking him to take on the job.
"I felt like I owed it to them and the party to step up and take this job on," he said.
Myers, who also served as house leader in the legislature, is the first person to put his name forward for the interim leadership since Crane announced last month she planned to step down as party leader.
The party has to choose an interim leader within 30 days of Crane's resignation and if more than one person puts their name forward the party executive and five sitting MLAs will decide who will replace her.
Traditionally, a sitting MLA who became the interim leader would also take on the role of opposition leader, but that may not be the case if Myers ends up taking over the temporary leadership.
Despite planning to step down as the party leader, Crane also confirmed her intention to stay on as opposition leader in the legislature.
That could leave the Conservatives with an interim party leader and opposition leader in legislative assembly.
Myers said most people think the same person should fill both jobs, but there are two different processes in place for each position.
The caucus decides who will be the opposition leader and Myers said if they want to entertain the idea of him filling that role if he becomes interim leader he is willing to discuss it.
"If they're not and they want status quo then I respect the decisions that come out of caucus always," he said.
When asked if he thought the same person should fill both positions, Myers said he didn't know of any time when an MLA who was interim leader didn't hold both jobs.
"I don't think there's precedence anywhere where you would have it any other way," he said.
PC party president Blake Doyle said he couldn't say much about the announcement but the process to pick an interim leader hasn't changed.
"I felt like I owed it to them and the party to step up and take this job on," - Georgetown-St. Peters MLA Steven Myers
"The position of leadership doesn't become vacated until the 30th of January so we can't vote or do anything until that date," he said.
Last week, Doyle told The Guardian the executive asked the four other Conservative MLAs to consider becoming interim leader, but none of them had expressed any interest at that time.
Doyle said Myers' announcement shows there is interest in the interim leadership.
"From the party's perspective I think that's great," Doyle said.
For Myers, he said he expects a lot of good candidates to declare for the permanent leadership and he told the party he doesn't plan to run for that job.
Myers also said there is no chance he will reconsider, even if he gets pressure to do so.
"When it comes time to pick a permanent leader there will be lots of options and I guarantee I won't be one of them," he said.
rross@theguardian.pe.ca
twitter.com/ryanrross
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