Stephen Harper's former Quebec lieutenant Lawrence Cannon has categorically denied a report that he will return to the province to run for the Conservatives in the upcoming federal election.
Montreal newspaper La Presse reported Cannon plans to seek the Tory nomination in the Quebec City-area riding of Louis-Hebert. The riding is currently held by the NDP's Denis Blanchette.
Cannon tweeted Saturday that there's no truth to the story.
@denis_lessard je démens formellement cette rumeur d'un retour en politique. Je suis heureux de poursuivre mon mandat à Paris.
— Lawrence Cannon (@lawrence_cannon) April 18, 2015
Cannon served as Harper's Quebec Lieutenant from 2006 to 2008, and as Foreign Affairs Minister from 2008 to 2011. He was defeated in the 2011 federal election.
He is currently serving as Canada's ambassador to France, a post he has held since 2012.
Longtime Quebec MNA Gerard Deltell is a recent high-profile candidates recruited by Harper as he seeks to make further inroads in Quebec.
The Tories won five out of 75 seats in Quebec in 2011 after winning 10 three years earlier.
