By Utsav Sanduja

The 2009 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Leadership Race will be a one remembered for the ages. Never have we seen so many distinct ideologies compete for the top job of our party, and the best part of it all was that not one bit of it was really as personal as the other parties have traditionally experienced.

This being my first Progressive Conservative Leadership race, I have to say I have had the great honour of working with the Tim Hudak campaign and while a number of my friends were on the other side of me, we still had a great cordial relationship. It was an intellectual debate of ideas, policy and a vision for Ontario, one that was based on legitimate democratic issues, rather than the same old dirty politics of character assassination witnessed in other political parties.

Throughout the leadership race, I met with various candidates, even candidates I hadn’t been supporting, to discuss with them how to improve our province. Randy Hillier will always be the soul of the conservative party and had told me personally when I had met him after the Ottawa debate; “I’ve been living in this province in the last 51 years, I have been fighting all my life for conservative values and guess what – I’m not leaving after this.”

I had spoken to many Frank Klees supporters, such as young Steven Badger a grassroots conservative and we mutually agreed on the need to reform health care. My favourite moments in the campaign that I heavily enjoyed and savoured were my debates with a long series of libertarians on Facebook ranging from Hugh MacIntyre, Ken Dubien, Alex Sloat and Steve Lafleur – all great friends of mine who at the end of day as they supported Christine Elliott for her flat tax proposal, presented fair arguments on their support for her.

I really enjoyed this leadership race a great deal and look forward to working with the next leader of our party and putting my full commitment to our next future Progressive Conservative Premier of Ontario!