TORONTO - The federal Liberals plan to pit Brent Fullard, an ardent rival of the Conservatives' income trust tax, against Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in the key riding of Whitby-Oshawa, the Liberal riding association announced on Sunday.
Fullard, who founded the Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors to fight Flaherty's decision to tax income trusts, said he sought out the riding -- and his target is the finance minister.
"This is 100 per cent my initiative, I approached them, I identified the riding," said Fullard, 55.
"I'm not seeking to run for the Liberals in (any) riding, I'm seeking to confront Flaherty on his policies and his competence for office. And I can't do that anywhere else but Whitby-Oshawa."
The nomination still has to be confirmed at a candidate's meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
Fullard said that his gripes with the government go beyond the finance minister, lambasting Prime Minister Stephen Harper for calling an election in contravention of its fixed-election date legislation, and immediately before three byelections were scheduled to take place.
"In some respects, I'm not running against Flaherty per say, I'm running against the policies of the government he represents," said Fullard.
The former investment banker launched the income trust lobby group after the Conservatives broke their election resolution not to tax the trusts.
Fullard said Sunday he has never been affiliated with a political party -- and his group doesn't endorse the Liberals' income trust policy -- but after attending a 2007 announcement of a National Seniors Council that he called "farcical," he called the Liberals.
"They have a policy that's workable for income trust investors and they are the credible alternative party, and I mean, who better to run for against Flaherty than the Liberal party?" said Fullard.
"My goal is to defeat him in his riding, which is a very reasonable possibility."
The Liberals believe they have good chances of winning the riding, said Mike Crawley, president of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario).
"We think with a strong candidate like (Fullard), that really exposes one of Flaherty's most controversial actions as finance minister, and we think it will make Flaherty quite vulnerable."
Chisholm Pothier, a spokesman for Flaherty, said they wouldn't be commenting much until the nomination is confirmed Tuesday.
"Flaherty looks forward to the selection as an opportunity to debate important issues, including income trusts," said Pothier.
After several false starts over the past 18 months where it looked as though the government might fall, Harper pulled the plug Sunday morning, asking Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean to dissolve Parliament.
The Oct. 14 vote will be the third in four years.
Recent polls have suggested a Conservative majority within Harper's reach. But the Conservatives have repeatedly bounced back from those lofty levels over their 31 months in government whenever Canadians began to contemplate the possibility of a Tory majority.
Fullard lives in Toronto, but worked for the General Motors plant in Oshawa after graduating from Queen's University in 1979.
The truck plant in Oshawa was the scene of a 12-day blockade by Canadian Auto Workers union members protesting the planned September 2009 shut down of the facility, which employs some 2,600 people.
The protest at first appeared futile, but the union eventually gained the plant workers up to $120,000 in cash incentives.
Following his time at GM, Fullard worked for 20 years in Canadian capital markets, including executive positions at BMO Nesbitt Burns. He is currently head of Catalyst Asset Management.
