If the goal of this massive fee, along with those thousands of signatures, was to keep lesser-known candidates out, as some observers have mused, then it failed.
But so what? That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
There will be several heavy-hitter names on the list and it is likely that one of them will be the eventual winner. Peter MacKay has already declared he’s in. Pierre Poilievre and Erin O’Toole are expected to announce soon.
The Conservatives will want to emerge in fighting form out of this leadership race as soon as possible.