The former leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives believes it would be “unconstitutional” for the party to not allow him to enter the leadership race.
“It would be unconstitutional for (the Progressive Conservative leadership) to do so,” Patrick Brown said at an event in Orillia, Ont., on Monday. “The party grassroots wouldn’t stand for it.”
WATCH: Patrick Brown says removal from leadership race would be unconstitutional
Just a couple of hours after Brown spoke to Global News, an unconfirmed report surfaced that the PCs were set to announce Tuesday that Christine Elliott, Doug Ford and Tanya Granic Allen will be eligible to run for leader, while Brown won’t.
READ MORE: Former Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown says he grew the party, so he should lead it
Interim PC leader Vic Fedelli has an announcement scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Brown resigned from his leadership position last month after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced, which he has since denied.
In an exclusive interview with Global News last week, Brown suggested the allegations were instigated from either inside or outside his party.
READ MORE: Patrick Brown enters Ontario PC leadership race amid sexual misconduct allegations
“I believe this was initiated for political purposes,” Brown said. “I have a number of political adversaries and so there’s a number of people who would benefit from what happened and I hope that in the course of the investigation we’ll be able to expose who was involved in this.”
WATCH: A look back on Patrick Brown’s resignation, PC leaderships
If they did come from within the PCs, Brown said Monday that he believes it is a fringe group.
“I don’t blame the party, I blame some elements in the party,” he said. “The overwhelming support of the party has been so encouraging.”
READ MORE: Patrick Brown says sexual assault allegations motivated by ‘political adversaries’
Nearly 1,000 people showed up at an annual Family Day roller skating party in his home riding Monday. He says support from across the province is what has encouraged to throw his name back in the ring for party leadership.
“It’s been the calls from party members — the messages, the emails — from party members across the province who have said ‘We don’t like what happened in the backrooms in Toronto and we expect you to fight for yourself and fight for this province.’”
Brown was expelled from the Tory caucus on Friday, just prior to his announcement that he would once again be running for party leader. He will sit as an independent when the legislature resumes on Tuesday.
*With files from Global News and The Canadian Press
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