OTTAWA — Former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has endorsed Pierre Poilievre to be the next leader of the party.
In a rare public return to party politics, Harper posted a short video on Twitter touting his support.
Harper says the contest to lead the party is full of candidates, but one stands out.
The former prime minister says Poilievre served as a strong minister under him when the Conservatives were last in power, before he was defeated by Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2015.
Harper says Poilievre spent the last few years in opposition being the party’s “most vocal and effective critic” of the government.
He says Poilievre has talked about pressing economic issues like debt and inflation, and presented solutions that are “rooted in solid conservative ideas.”