Quebec Tory candidate against Trudeau quits after bizarre campaign

MONTREAL – The federal Conservatives say a candidate who was to run against Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has withdrawn after he reportedly acknowledged his campaign was intended to “mess with” the Tories.

CBC reported Tuesday that Chris Lloyd said his campaign was part of an art project.

Later on Tuesday, Conservative spokesman Marc-Andre Leclerc said in an email that Lloyd had resigned.

Lloyd wrote on his Dear PM blog he had been in daily communication with Prime Minister Stephen Harper since 2001.

Despite the fact his blog posts seem silly and in jest, no red flags were raised at Conservative Party headquarters until the news report.

Conservative MPs refused to comment publicly on Lloyd’s project, but privately were embarrassed by the story.

A simple Internet search on Lloyd reveals he is an artist and New Brunswick native whose Dear PM blog contains several posts of Tim Hortons coffee cups along with the words “I am still alive.”

His blog also shows a photo of a cheque written out for $30 billion for the purchase of F-35s.

Lloyd was acclaimed as the Conservative candidate for the riding of Papineau and was to have run against Trudeau in the upcoming federal election.