Ontario PC party plans June leadership convention

Ontario Progressive Conservativesare planning for a leadership convention in late June to find a replacement for John Tory, according to theparty's president.

Toryannounced on Friday he would step down as leader oncea successor is chosenafter he lost his second consecutive attempt to get a seat in the legislature.

Ken Zeise said the Conservatives want to hit the ground running by July 1.

The final results fromlast week's byelectionshowed Liberal Rick Johnson winning the riding of Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock by 906 votes. Tory drew 41 per cent of the vote to Johnson's nearly 44 per cent.

The sprawling central Ontario ridinghad been held by the Conservatives since 1994, when former cabinet minister Chris Hodgson was elected.

During a news conference on Friday, an emotional Tory called for unity among his party and said members mustcement the PC "in the mainstream of Ontario's political culture."

Several names have emerged as Tory'spossible successors at the PC helm, including MPPs Tim Hudak and Christine Elliott, the wife of federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

Flaherty, whofinished second to Tory inthe 2004 provincial PC leadership race, ruled himself out of the running.The former Mike Harris cabinet minister saidhe is focused on dealing with the challenges facing Canada's economy.