The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, April 17, edition that Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce chairman Jim Prentice is seriously thinking about making a run for the leadership of Alberta's Progressive Conservative Party. The Globe's Steven Chase and Kelly Cryderman write that unnamed sources say Mr. Prentice is actively preparing the ground for a campaign in the event he should decide to throw his hat into the ring. A number of high-ranking PC party members and Calgary business leaders believe Mr. Prentice can not only win the leadership vote, scheduled for September, but also has the best chance of getting the long-governing party out of the political doldrums before the next provincial election in 2016. Mr. Prentice has federal politics and private sector experience, and counts allies on many parts of the political spectrum. He left Ottawa in 2010. Mr. Prentice, 57, recently signed on to help the Northern Gateway pipeline project by negotiating with native groups on behalf of Enbridge. Alberta Progressive Conservatives will vote for a new leader, who will automatically become the province's next premier, in a process that culminates on Sept. 20.