By Kris Sims
OTTAWA - A prominent Conservative leadership candidate is calling on business television star Kevin O'Leary to put his money where his mouth is.
Former Speaker of the House of Commons Andrew Scheer is offering to personally sign O'Leary's leadership race nomination papers - but only if he joins the fray before the Quebec City televised debate set for January 17th.
"I have actually challenged Kevin to get in the race, I want him there in Quebec City," Scheer told CTV Question Period Host Evan Solomon during an interview on Ottawa Now on News Talk Radio 580 CFRA Monday.
"He brags about the fact that he can raise money very quickly, that he has no trouble putting a team together, that he can wait as long as he wants, so I am challenging him: I will even sign his nomination papers if he is short a few nomination signatures, I will sign it for him to get him there on stage on the 17th so he can be with the rest of the Conservative candidates, en Francais, in Quebec, the only province where the Conservative Party gained seats in the last election, I think that if he wants to run for leader he should be there with the rest of us," Scheer said.
O'Leary has said repeatedly that he is interested in joining the race and has mustered a posse to explore the option within conservative power circles.
O'Leary does not speak French and has previously dismissed the need for a Prime Minister of Canada to speak the official language, however, he has recently pledged to take French lessons and appoint a Deputy Prime Minister to manage issues with Quebec.
There are currently 13 candidates officially running for leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper resigned as leader after losing the 2015 election to Justin Trudeau's Liberals.