Todd Doherty has yet to be sworn in as the new MP for Cariboo-Prince George but he already has a major decision to make.
On Thursday, Doherty will join the group of elected and departing Conservative MPs in their first meeting since falling to Opposition status following the Oct. 19 general election. With Stephen Harper serving his last day as Prime Minister on Tuesday and stepping down as leader of the Conservative Party on election night, the group will be tasked with selecting an interim leader.
Doherty said he had nothing but respect for the party's former figurehead, calling the former prime minister a "very smart man" who "has served our country extremely well."
But he acknowledged the need for the Tories to move forward and that whomever takes over the reigns, whether it's on an interim or full-time basis, needs to be able to connect with all Canadians.
The new party leader should be "one that is optimistic; one that not only follows the core Conservative principles, but also can deliver the message of hope; that can speak to all Canadians," said Doherty.
Following meetings with other caucus members since arriving in Ottawa, Doherty said there's a sense of teamwork about going forward.
"While the national outcome wasn't what we were hoping for, I am extremely excited about what I have seen in the last week in terms of the commitment, the motivation, the dedication to rebuilding a stronger brand, one that connects with Canadians from coast to coast, one that allows us to fully represent our regions and our nation and one that is going to be there, that is going to be engaging," he said.
Since arriving in Ottawa last Tuesday, Doherty has been staying at a hotel. But he has already secured an apartment a short commute from the parliamentary offices and is working to get the local constituency office up and running.
Continuing in the pattern of teamwork started during the campaign, Doherty and Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies MP Bob Zimmer will open a joint constituency office in Prince George at a location still to be determined.
"I wanted to get to work right as soon as we knew what the results were," said Doherty.
"The earlier I could get here, get our team going, get our feet underneath of us, (it) will allow us to be the most effective for our constituents and our region."
While his 90-day goal had to be adjusted, given the Liberal sweep to a majority government, the core tenets of wanting to be ready to go as soon as possible remained.
The next step is "re-engaging our mayors and councillors and our elected officials from our region - which we started the week right after the election already - and also setting up meetings here in Ottawa so that we can get them connected with who we need to connect with so that we can make things happen in our region," said Doherty.
His week in Ottawa has been spent in a flurry of meetings in relation to getting things set up administratively, MP orientations as well as with prospective stakeholders.
Things have been so busy that Doherty said his first opportunity to step inside Parliament Hill's Centre Block didn't come until Monday.
Getting the chance to walk the halls and check out the House of Commons for the first time as a parliamentarian was a special moment, said Doherty.
It hammered home the responsibility of being elected, which Doherty said is something he's never taken for granted.
"Just the honour and the history of those who have come before us and the honour to serve our friends and our families and our constituents within our region is pretty incredible," he said.
A date for his swearing-in hasn't been set, said Doherty, though he doesn't expect it to happen until after Remembrance Day. He will make his first trip back to the riding next week for the holiday and to attend ceremonies in Prince George.
Despite not having signed the oath, there are already eyes on Doherty to produce.
Former International Trade Minister Ed Fast dropped his name into comments for a Globe and Mail story on Monday and he also participated in a photo shoot with a pair of Liberal and NDP MPs for a story by the Vancouver Sun about rookie B.C. MPs to watch (see related story, page 1).
"There's nobody that can put more pressure on me than myself," said Doherty.
"I've got goals and objectives for us and our office and we'll just keep moving forward and doing what we can and hopefully the positive attention brings more attention to our region."
