Hudak turned to Wayne Newton's bus

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A secret kept under wraps by the Progressive Conservative campaign has finally been revealed — it concerns Tim Hudak's bus, a Vegas crooner and a stripper pole.

One of the most closely guarded secrets of the Ontario Tory leader's election campaign was that it literally stalled early on.

Hudak's custom Greyhound bus broke down in Ottawa just two days into his campaign. Tory staffers, anxious to avoid journalists using the breakdown as a metaphor for the party's campaign, decided to hide the evidence.

They parked the hobbled bus far down the suburban street where Hudak was expected to do his first announcement of the day, and arranged for a replacement bus to be brought in.

But the only substitute to be found once belonged to Las Vegas-based singer Wayne Newton, and featured a stage complete with a stripper pole in the back.

The bus was used only briefly and Hudak was back with his official campaign wheels the next day.

Reporters following the campaign were only told the story by campaign staff after the election results were in Thursday night.

© The Canadian Press, 2011