Postmedia columnist floats Ben Mulroney as potential successor to Andrew Scheer as Conservative leader

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      Dynasty politics are alive and well in Canada.

      Justin Trudeau, the son of a former prime minister, is about to begin his second term at the helm of the country.

      Caroline Mulroney, the daughter of another former prime minister, is Ontario's minister of francophone affairs.

      And now, her younger brother Ben's name is being floated as a potential successor to Andrew Scheer as leader of the federal Conservatives.

      "Conservatives need to choose a new leader who will unite the country and bring Canadians together," Postmedia columnist Jim Warren wrote. "If your goal is a majority government, then the ideal candidate would be a Quebecer with a high profile in Ontario who would relate to Western values and Atlantic Canada common sense."

      According to Warren, Ben Mulroney is being touted by former Conservative MPs and staffers.

      The Montreal-born 43-year-old broadcaster is a cohost of etalk and Your Morning on CTV.

      He has a bachelor of arts degree from Duke University in North Carolina and a bachelor of laws degree from Université Laval.

      If Mulroney runs for the top job, the financing of that schooling could become an issue for his opponents.

      That's because Brian Mulroney told the Oliphant Commission that the money he received from German businessman Karlheinz Schreiber mostly went to cover his children's education costs.

      The commission was ordered after Schreiber, a former Airbus lobbyist, claimed that he gave Brian Mulroney $300,000 in cash in 1993 and 1994 to assist with business ventures. The former prime minister testified that he only received $225,000.

      The Oliphant Commission, which looked into the matter, included this paragraph in its final report: “This inquiry provided Mr. Mulroney with the opportunity to clear the air and put forward cogent, credible evidence to support his assertions that there was nothing untoward about his dealings with Mr. Schreiber. I regret that he has not done so. I express this regret on behalf of all Canadians, who are entitled to expect their politicians to conserve and enhance public confidence and trust in the integrity, objectivity and impartiality of government.”

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