Hillier stood for the position of interim leader of the party following Tim Hudak's resignation in the aftermath of the 2014 provincial election. Hillier advocated moving power out of the hands of the leader and having more decisions made by caucus, including the selection of House Leader and Whip. He was defeated by Jim Wilson. Prior to the caucus meeting where the vote for interim leader was held, Wilson had dismissed Hillier's bid as a stunt, saying “He’s crazy... he has consistently betrayed the trust of caucus.”