‘Ottawa’ Kellie Leitch says her Campaign will Continue Going in ‘Same Direction’ after Unexpected Kouvalis Exit
OTTAWA — Conservative candidate Kellie Leitch says her campaign will continue going in the “same direction” after the departure of controversial campaign manager Nick Kouvalis.
Kouvalis offered his resignation Thursday, saying in a public statement that evening he had become a distraction to the campaign. Leitch said in an interview Saturday she hadn’t seen it coming.
“I told him from day one if he needed a break that his health and his family came first. And I know how hard he was working, he put a huge amount of time and effort into my campaign so when he called me and said he had to step aside because it was just too stressful, you know obviously I respect that decision,” she said.
“I hope he receives the help that he needs and I’ll continue with a great strong team that I have.”
Amid speculation over Kouvalis’s next move, Leitch said she believes he wouldn’t move over to another candidate’s team. “I know he won’t,” she said. “Not that he made a promise to me. Just, he’s a loyal person.”
Leitch said her campaign still has 1,500 volunteers and “we’re going to continue going in the same direction we have been up until now,” which she described as a campaign focused on talking to average people about their concerns.
She wouldn’t comment on whether she agreed with Kouvalis that he was distracting from her campaign.
“Politics is a team sport and you make a strategy and you implement it just like you do if you’re playing on a football team or on an ice rink for hockey. … You’re loyal to your teammates.”
Kouvalis had been the focus of some media coverage about Trump-style campaign tactics and alt-right language on social media.
Meanwhile, Leitch herself has continued to focus heavily on her signature policy idea — to enforce an interview for every immigration application, which would screen for “Canadian values.”
Leitch faces Kevin O’Leary for the first time Saturday night at a debate in Halifax — someone she says is “10 out of 10 on personality” but “zero out of 10 on policy.”
There are 14 candidates in total. A new leader will be chosen May 27.
Email: mdsmith@postmedia.com | Twitter: mariedanielles