When the Conservative leadership last fell vacant in 2015, Peter MacKay had only been out of federal politics for five months. He was building a private sector career with law firm Baker McKenzie, had two young children and his mother was fighting cancer. He considered taking a run but ultimately decided to pass.
Four years on, things are different. His mother Eirene passed away in 2017 and he’s since had a third child. But friends say he’s “100 per cent in” this time, that his path to victory is clearer and that he is merely arranging a leave of absence with his employer before going public.
MacKay’s wife, Nazanin Afshin-Jam, a formidable figure in her own right as a singer, model and human rights activist, is said to be supportive and he has built a leadership team that includes former MP Alex Nuttall, widely recognized as a good organizer.
