CANADA

With O'Toole out, new Conservative leader will face 'bloody tough job' healing divided party

'I think it's time for our party to get reunited, to get back on the same page here and I think you're going to see that,' said one MP

Author of the article:Catherine Lévesque
Publishing date:Feb 02, 2022 •

No less than 73 Conservative MPs voted to remove Erin O’Toole and only 45 voted in favour of him staying on. 

PHOTO BY @ERINOTOOLE/TWITTER

After Erin O’Toole was ousted as leader of the Conservatives, at least one MP was succinct in describing the role that had to be filled. “It’s going to be a bloody tough job. Bloody tough job,” said Ron Liepert.

On Wednesday, a majority of Conservative MPs voted to remove O’Toole as their leader, raising questions on the ability of the party to unite its different factions moving forward, but also offering a glimpse of optimism as caucus members promised to come together as a party after a difficult period.

No less than 73 MPs voted to remove O’Toole and only 45 voted in favour of him staying on. The National Conservative Caucus chair Scott Reid did not vote, making it a total of 118 MPs, including O’Toole, who cast their vote on the leadership review.

O’Toole submitted his resignation, effective immediately, to the Conservative Party.

He reacted to the news of his departure in a video Wednesday afternoon, promising to stay on as MP for Durham and pledging his “support and unwavering loyalty” to the Conservatives’ next leader. “I urge everyone in our party to come together and do the same.”

He also pointed to the trucker convoy, still blaring its horns steps from Parliament Hill, to send a message to the different factions in the Conservative caucus.

“Audi alteram partem. Hear the other side”, he translated from Latin. “Listen to all voices, not just the echoes from your own tribe. Realize that our country is divided and people are worried. Work together because how we, as leaders, act now will define the next generation.”

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MPs close to O’Toole went on social media to express their thanks to him for having served as leader of the opposition for the past 18 months.

“Politics is difficult, often thankless, sometimes cruel,” tweeted Alain Rayes, whom O’Toole named to become his Quebec lieutenant. “I would like to sincerely thank Erin O’Toole for his dedication as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.”

Insiders from both camps were expecting a potentially tight result, with many saying that his tenure as leader would be finished either way with such an affront from MPs.

The latest caucus revolt came to light on Monday evening, with the Globe and Mail first reporting that 35 Conservative MPs had signed a letter demanding a leadership review later in the week. It forced both camps to work phones for days trying to gain support.

On Wednesday morning, O’Toole made his final pitch to caucus by promising to move up the leadership review with members, scheduled at the party’s national convention in 2023. O’Toole also promised to revisit party policies, some of which had been changed without consultation.

But it was too late for most MPs who had already made up their mind, said a Conservative source who participated in the virtual meeting.

“It sounded to me like last minute arguments, almost desperate arguments, for people who had already lost their trust in him,” said the source. “I think they didn’t change anything. Seeing the scale of the vote, I’d be surprised if he convinced two people to change their vote.

“When you lose all trust in someone and that person speaks to you, you can only say… here’s some more bulls**t.”

Liepert, an Alberta MP, told reporters after the vote that he decided to vote for keeping O’Toole on as leader because of his commitment to move up the leadership review for members. Liepert said he thought members should have determined “whether or not he stays.”

This is the Conservative Party of Canada, we've been fighting like this for decades

But he recognized that a majority of his colleagues did not feel the same way and that they thought, “we needed to start fresh and that Erin wasn’t going to be able to do it.”

“This is a party of factions. This is the Conservative Party of Canada, we’ve been fighting like this for decades,” said MP Tom Kmiec with a smirk. “This is the Conservative Party: we have heated debates, we disagree on things and we come together to then win elections.”

While MPs conceded this was a difficult day for O’Toole, they also said it was time to work together and heal certain divisions that have overshadowed their work in the past 18 months.

“I think it’s time for our party to get reunited, to get back on the same page here and I think you’re going to see that,” said Ontario MP Eric Duncan to reporters on Wednesday.

“But it’s got to be onward and upward, get united, get together and have a new leader.”

“We have a caucus which adores each other, which loves each other, but that had divisions which should not have been there”, insisted Quebec MP Pierre Paul-Hus in French.

The pro-life organization RightNow wasted no time in putting out a statement on Wednesday, saying it was “pleased” that O’Toole had been removed as leader and warning that social conservative groups would make their voices heard in the next leadership race.

“I would hope that the lesson for the new leader from the Erin O’Toole experience is that pro-lifers have a strong voice in the party and are ready to work with the leader to advance reasonable and popular pro-life policies,” said co-founder Alissa Golob, in a statement.

It remains to be seen if an interim leader or a future leader will be able to heal the different factions within caucus and give a clear direction to a party that seems to be sometimes torn between ideological or regional divides.

A first contender for interim leader put his hat in the ring, seconds after the results of the vote on O’Toole’s leadership were made official: John Williamson, MP for New Brunswick Southwest.

Erin O'Toole is out as Conservative leader -- a look at some potential replacements

Wed., February 2, 2022



OTTAWA — Erin O'Toole has been voted out as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. A look at some potential contenders to replace him:

Pierre Poilievre — The Ottawa-area MP and finance critic is regarded as a front-runner and a favourite among the grassroots. He speaks French and considered running in the 2020 leadership race, but ultimately said it would take away from time with his young family.

Leslyn Lewis — The newly-elected MP from Ontario placed third in the last leadership race. She entered as a relative unknown and became the top pick among many social conservatives and party members from Western Canada

Marilyn Gladu — The MP from southwestern Ontario told reporters Wednesday she's considering another run at the leadership. Gladu entered the 2020 race but failed to meet the party's criteria. In recent months, she's become a vocal critic of COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Rona Ambrose — A cabinet minister in the Conservative government of former prime minister Stephen Harper who became interim leader after he lost the 2015 election. In 2020, Ambrose, who hails from Western Canada, decided against vying for the leadership despite the desire of many members to see her run.

She did so again Wednesday, saying in a statement: "It's really hard to see what's happening and not jump back in to help. My heart says yes but my head says no. I'm not going to go back at this juncture in my life."

Patrick Brown — The mayor of Brampton, Ont., said before Wednesday's vote that his "only focus right now is getting Brampton reopened." However, some Tories are still looking to him, given his political roots in the region as not only a local politician but as a former leader of Ontario's Progressive Conservative Party. The federal Conservatives are conscious of the need to pick up votes in the Greater Toronto Area.

Michelle Rempel Garner — The Alberta MP is one of the most recognizable figures among Canadians within the Conservative caucus. She is known for standing up for the province's oil and gas industry and advocating for the rights of LGBTQ Canadians. Her name is often floated for leadership roles. She did not enter the 2020 leadership contest.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2022.

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press