Arlene Dickinson's harsh words for Kevin O'Leary are part of her posturing for a career in politics, despite her denials, their former reality TV co-star Brett Wilson says.
Wilson, who starred alongside Dickinson and O'Leary as a celebrity investor on the television show "Dragon's Den," says the two are taking their often adversarial relationship into the political area, with O'Leary seeking leadership of the Conservatives and Dickinson rumoured to be mulling a run for the Liberals.
"They had their shtick on Dragon's Den, now they're elevating it into the national scene," Wilson, chairman of the Canoe Financial Group, told BNN on Monday.
Wilson criticized Dickinson for coming out against O'Leary last week, when she called him "self-interested and opportunistic" on CTV's Power Play.
"I don't think her approach was all that clever," Wilson said. "It was simply antagonistic and attacking."
He added that he thinks Dickinson is posturing before joining the Liberal Party, although she has denied it.
"It's common knowledge in Calgary that she's planning to run, or has been approached and is in the final stages of deciding to run for the Liberals," said Wilson, who also hails from Calgary.
"You've got two political beasts going at each other," he said.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Dickinson rejected all suggestions that she might run for the Liberals.
"I'm not running," she wrote. "I have no stake in any candidate's success, only that I think the Conservatives, and ultimately Canadians, would be better off choosing a candidate who's focused on helping all Canadians."
Wilson also offered high praise for O'Leary, from whom he purchased the O'Leary Financial Group last year. "We found one of the cleanest-run businesses I've ever uncovered," Wilson said of the deal.
He said he admires and respects O'Leary, and expects him to be one of the final candidates in the Conservative leadership race.
"I've always enjoyed Kevin for his willingness to challenge what's politically correct," Wilson said. "I like the fact that he's in the race."
With files from Business News Network
