Amid mounting speculation over which Liberals will throw their hats into the ring for the party's leadership, former public works minister Scott Brison says he is mulling putting his name forward.
Brison's name has also been floated as a possible contender for the position of interim leader to guide the party through the process of reconstruction.
The Nova Scotian MP for Kings-Hants told CTV's Question Period his interest is "serving in whatever capacity that I'm asked to serve in."
However, Brison would be ruling himself out as a contender for the Liberal leadership if he were to put his name forward for interim leader.
Though Brison admitted he has received calls from Liberals encouraging him to run for the leadership, he was evasive on what his decision might be.
"I haven't made a decision on that, and won't until I've had a thorough discussion with family and friends and advisers," he said.
The 38-year-old parliamentarian said there was a "broad-based level of interest" for his leadership bid, but would not divulge where the support is coming from.
While he would not set a deadline to make a decision, he conceded "there's not a lot of time to make a decision as other leadership campaigns are mounted and organized and moving forward."
Brison, who served as a prominent finance critic for the Progressive Conservatives and made a run for the party's leadership, is considered by some Liberals to be an ideal symbol of a "progressive" platform as an openly gay politician.
Now that Paul Martin has announced his plans to step aside, the gloves are off within the Liberal ranks as high profile MPs jostle for position to take the party crown.
Others named as potential candidates for the leadership include former New Brunswick premier and Canada's ambassador to the United States Frank McKenna; recently elected Liberal MP Michael Ignatieff; former cabinet minister Belinda Stronach, and former Newfoundland premier Brian Tobin.
Link to CTV Question Period
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