Longtime Progressive Conservative MPP Jim Wilson has been elected interim leader by the Tory caucus.

First elected in 1990, Wilson was most recently Tim Hudak's House Leader. During the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves, he served as minister of health, energy and environment. The Tories are expected to name their new House Leader and Chief Whip either later Wednesday or early Thursday.

Wilson replaces Hudak, who resigned after a disastrtous performance in the June 12 election that saw the Liberals re-elected with a majority and the Tories plunge to their lowest share of the popular vote since 1990.

Wilson said he will avoid steering the party in any particular policy direction, waiting for the election of a permanent leader. Instead, he's going to try and heal some of the wounds from the recent election.

"I'm not going down any policy trail - that will be up to the real leader of the party. We're going to start a new process in caucuses. In Alberta, they have happy MLAs and we should have happy MPPs in the PC caucus," Wilson said Wednesday morning.

"No criticism of past leaders, but we've had a period of about a decade where caucus has felt badly disenfranchised. That they really haven't had a say in the major decisions. That they were given policies they were asked to sell that probably weren't even popular in their own ridings."

Wilson says he hopes a leadership race will come sooner rather than later - that decision will be made by the Party's executive in a meeting this weekend.

The watchword from Wilson as well as some potential leadership candidates is that the Progressive Conservative party needs to reconnect with its grassroots and even connect with non-conservatives about what they want to see in an opposition party.

Vic Fedeli, who says he's considering a leadership bid pending the decision of the party executive, told QP Briefing the leadership campaign will be an opportunity for the party.

"I know they want to do a real tour of Ontario and understand what the conservatives need to hear. I think we need to hear not only from the grassroots of the party but from the people of Ontario what it will take to bring a conservative government," he said Wednesday.

Lisa MacLeod is also considering a leadership bid, and says the party needs to focus on the long-term.

"Our tone has undeniably been something that came up during the campaign. I think that's caused a lot of discussion internally in our caucus," MacLeod says. "I'm optimistic for that, but it's going to take a lot of hard work. It's going to take a plan for the next 8-12 years.

"We have to do a lot more listening, and we have to be a lot more activist with respect to our membership base."

PC MPP Christine Elliott is to date the only person to have declared her candidacy for the leadership race.

Wilson, MacLeod and Fedeli all talked about the need for the Tories to change their tone in response to the defeat on June 12, where Hudak's pledge to cut 100,000 positions from the broader public sector came a surprise to the Tory caucus, and was widely blamed for handing the Liberals another majority.

"We have to go back to earning the trust of the people of Ontario. But let's be on the side of the people of Ontario. Let's not attack people," Wilson said.

The more open tone was welcomed by the new Government House Leader Yasir Naqvi, who said he will be happy to work with whomever the Tories name as his counterpart. (Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson remains the NDP's House Leader.)

"I am very glad to hear that. In the end of the day, that’s what I’ll tell you that every MPP hears from knocking on doors all the time: 'Why can’t you all get along? Why can’t you discuss things more ahead of time?'" said Naqvi. "My aim is exactly to do that: make sure that we are talking to each other, making sure that we are consulting each other, making sure that people are respectful of the rules and get things done that are in the interests of Ontarians."

Wilson signals new Tory tone: less attacking, more listening

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