John Tory speaks in a straightforward, business-like manner. While he says he's not a "career politician," he feels he's ready to lead Ontario and the revamped Progressive Conservative party.

The 53-year-old has gone to great lengths to separate himself from the previous Conservative governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves, even avoiding uttering Harris' name.

Instead, Tory wants voters to see the party's fresh face and new approach. While Harris pressured unions, Tory has asked for their co-operation. Where Harris talked tough about welfare recipients and panhandlers, Tory has talked sympathetically about the state of those who are less fortunate.

Some political analysts say Tory has done a successful job rebuilding the strength of the party that dominated Ontario's political system from 1943 to 1985. After Eves' loss four years ago, some wondered how the Tories would recover.

Tory describes himself as a "Red Tory," saying he has socially liberal views on a number of issues, including supporting same-sex marriage.

He lists the economy, health care and accountability as the three most important issues currently facing the province.

A rookie leader but a veteran backroom adviser from the Bill Davis era, Tory hopes constituents see him as a no-nonsense politician.

"I hope I'm perceived in a business-like way, a person with a great deal of experience in running sophisticated organizations and management, but also as a person with a demonstrated social conscience through my community involvement before I was in politics," he told CTV.ca in an interview.

Tory is the former commissioner of the Canadian Football League, a former president of Rogers Cable and the former chairman of the United Way of Greater Toronto. He says a business background is "hugely beneficial" in politics.

"I think it's given me a discipline when it comes to accountability, which is really important and I think is sadly lacking in the political process today," he says.

"In business, you wouldn't dream of making a promise or making a commitment that you wouldn't honour. The consequences of that is that you'd lose your credibility and probably lose your job, so you learn the discipline of that, you learn the discipline of value for money and making sure that money you have is someone else's."

Tory calls McGuinty the most prolific promise-breaker in modern times, and says voters have paid close attention to the Liberal leader's track record.

If elected, Tory vows to cancel the health premium, fund privately run, faith-based schools, hire an additional 200 provincial police officers and push for mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana grow-ops.

His life

Tory was born in Toronto's Don Valley West neighbourhood and has lived almost his entire life there.

He attended the private and prestigious University of Toronto Schools and earned his bachelor of arts from the University of Toronto. He then followed in his father's footsteps and earned a law degree from Osgoode Hall.

He met his wife Barbara Hackett, a small-business owner and custom home builder, at an extra-curricular French class. They have four children together.

Tory bought his first Conservative membership at the age of 14 and ran a mayoral campaign while studying law at York University. He practised law for a few years, and has held volunteer roles with the Salvation Army and St. Michael's Hospital.

But the leader's passion has always been politics. He served as principal secretary to former Ontario premier Bill Davis from 1981 to 1985 before heading up Rogers Cable and the CFL.

Tory later served as campaign chairman to former prime minister Brian Mulroney, and he managed the 1993 election campaign of Mulroney's successor, Kim Campbell.

Tory returned to Rogers Communications in 1995, becoming president and CEO of Rogers' subsidiary Rogers Cable, the country's largest cable TV company.

After he stepped down from Rogers, he tried his hand at local politics, running for the Toronto mayoral job in the 2003 fall election. He finished a close second to David Miller.

Tory was elected leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative party in 2004 after Ernie Eves resigned from the post. He was originally elected as an MPP in the rural riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington Grey in a byelection, but last year announced he would seek re-election in Don Valley West, currently held by Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.

While the Conservatives hold no seats in vote-rich Toronto, Tory says that will change this fall.

When asked about his daily routine, the leader says he goes to bed after midnight and rises at 5:30 a.m., which is all the sleep he needs. He arrives at his office at 6:15 a.m. and answers his email.

"It's time that I very much enjoy because it's very quiet and I can do whatever I have to do," he says.

Tory's favourite TV show is "Law and Order," and he has had time to see just two movies this year, "Sicko" and "The Queen."

He's been a fan of the Toronto Argonauts since he was eight, but hasn't been able to see any games this summer, even though he has season tickets. He doesn't follow the NFL as closely, but believes Toronto could one day have successful CFL and NFL franchises.

Tory prefers non-fiction, and recently read U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" and a book on Abraham Lincoln.

He calls himself "quite a practical joker," with one of his favourite gags being swiping BlackBerrys from colleagues and sending out messages, pretending to be that person. The act has sent people into a panic.

"Sometimes people misunderstand," Tory says, laughing.

He hasn't had much time for his favourite activities, which include tennis, skiing and golf.

"I've had a handicap of 20 for about 25 years. My 18-year-old son has a five-handicap and regularly beats me, which is very disconcerting," he says.

But Tory has nailed a hole-in-way an impressive three times, a feat considered a once-in-a lifetime accomplish for amateur golfers.

Tory is now hoping to ace his first run at the premier's job.