MONTREAL — Andre Bachand, the sole Conservative MP from Quebec, announced Monday he is running for leader of the party.

Bachand, 41, is the seventh person to seek Joe Clark's job and the third from the Tories' 14-member caucus in Ottawa.

"I took this decision largely because I think it is absolutely necessary that Quebecers and francophone Canadians be full-fledged participants in the selection process of a new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada," he told a news conference.

"I want to offer a new voice to unite all those, francophones and anglophones, from all regions of the country, from all backgrounds who want to turn the page on a decade of drift."

Bachand added the Tory party "risks to become a regional party like the Canadian Alliance."

Bachand, the former mayor of Asbestos, Que., wants to broaden the party's appeal in the province and adds a francophone element to a race dominated by anglophones.

The MP for Richmond-Arthabaska since 1997, is touted for his easy command of French and English, his ability to build bridges between the Canadian Alliance and the Bloc Quebecois and his experience in the Commons.

The other candidates are Nova Scotia MPs Peter MacKay and Scott Brison; Saskatchewan environmentalist David Orchard; Calgary businessman Jim Prentice; Craig Chandler, a former Alliance candidate from southwestern Ontario and leader of a Christian lobby group and one-time Conservative cabinet minister and Quebec MP Heward Grafftey.

The Conservatives will elect a new leader June 1 in Toronto.

Andre Bachand quick sketch:

• Born: Dec. 8, 1961, Quebec City.
• Raised: Asbestos, Que.
• Education: Political science at University of Ottawa.
• Political career: Elected mayor of Asbestos in 1986 at age 24, a position he held until 1997; Elected to House of Commons for Richmond-Arthabaska riding in 1997, winning by more than 2,400 votes after a Bloc Quebecois landslide in 1993; Re-elected in 2000 with a victory margin of less than 400 votes over the BQ.
• Commons portfolios: Former Tory critic for foreign affairs; currently health critic and federal-provincial relations critic.
• Family: Partner Nathalie Boileau, son Gabriel born 1995.
• Quote: "I want to offer a new voice to unite all those, francophones and anglophones, from all regions of the country, from all backgrounds who want to turn the page on a decade of drift."