'I wouldn't say I was drunk': Ches Crosbie hopes voters will focus on his leadership potential

Ches Crosbie's surprising admission Tuesday that he was convicted for refusing a breathalyzer test overshadowed his big political announcement, but he's hoping voters will weigh his mistake against everything else he can bring to the table as PC Party leader.

"I'd much rather that it never happened. That I committed that misbehaviour those years ago. I think it shows that I'm walking the walk, and not just talking the talk and that I'm being honest [and]that I'm certainly only human," Crosbiesaid during a phone interview Wednesday.

Loss of driving privileges

Crosbie isexpressingregret and apologizingfor an incident 24 years ago that saw him convicted ofrefusing to provide a breath sample after being suspected of drinking and driving.

The incident occurred in St. John's.

"I had been drinking. I wouldn't say I was drunk," he said.

He said he was fined and had hisdriving privileges suspended for four months.

• Ches Crosbie confirms PC leadership bid, then drops a bombshell

The law society was made aware of his conviction, but the matter made its way through the court system without ever making any headlines.

That's despite the fact Crosbie was a practicing lawyer in St. John's at the time, and is the son of John Crosbie, who was one of the most influential politicians in the country at the time of his son's conviction.

"It just went through the system in the normal course, as far as I'm aware," Crosbie said.

'Time to get it off my chest'

Crosbiebecame the first person to officially declare Tuesday that he will be seeking the leadership of the Newfoundland and Labrador PC Party, with hopes of guiding the party back to power in the 2019 provincial election.

The party is currently struggling in the polls and holds just six of the 40 seats in the House of Assembly.

Some 100 people attended his event in St. John's Tuesday evening, and Crosbiepromised to shake things up by tackling the province's daunting spending problem and massive debt.

He also pledged to return honesty to the political arena, which is why he disclosed his brush with the law at the end of a question-and-answer session with reporters.

"I've become aware that there's a loss of confidence in our political institutions. And I've made a call for greater honesty in politics. So I thought that was the time to get it off my chest and make that disclosure," Crosbiesaid.

Was conviction reason for rejection in 2015?

When asked why he choose to make the disclosure at his campaign launch,knowing it would likely deflect the spotlight from his policy ideas, Crosbieoffered this:

"A number of months ago I was simply listening and talking to people and assessing whether I would do this. So I think the right time for it was now."

• Conservative Party rejects Ches Crosbie's candidacy for Avalon

So was the conviction the reason why the federal Conservatives rejected his bid to represent the party in the riding of Avalon in the 2015 election?

"No,"said Crosbie.

He said he disclosed the information to the party, but said they used "fake reasons" for justifying his rejection.

"It had nothing to do with that," he said.