Erin O’Toole is forced to let go of the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. Members of the group – the official opposition in Ottawa – took part this Wednesday in a vote of confidence in their leader. 45 parliamentarians gave him their support, but 73 chose to show him the way out (62% of the total). O’Toole, who had been under friendly fire for several months, will continue to represent the riding of Durham, Ont., in the lower house. The politician had stressed at different times that his party needed a change to adapt to the new times. For him, a shift to the center is essential to defeat the Liberals of Justin Trudeau. The majority of Conservative MPs decided otherwise.
A law passed in Canada in 2015 allows parliamentarians of a party to organize a vote of confidence in their leader if at least 20% of them request it. The newspaper The Globe and Mail announced on Monday that a petition had obtained the necessary signatures to trigger the vote. This is the first time in Canada that a partisan leader leaves office by this procedure. Tory MPs voted secretly on Wednesday.
Erin O’Toole confirmed her resignation in a video posted on social media. Initially, he addressed all political forces, inviting them to “listen to all voices, not just the echoes of their groups”. He called for unity in his political party, saying Canada needs a Conservative Party “that is both an intellectual and a governmental force.” O’Toole said it was an honor to serve as leader, adding, “Canadians deserve a balanced, thoughtful and inspired Conservative Party. MP Pierre Paul-Hus, one of the few to speak publicly about the move, said the lack of trust in O’Toole was widespread and his leadership was no longer up to scratch.
O’Toole (49), a lawyer and former Air Force helicopter pilot, became Conservative leader in August 2020. At the time, he claimed to embody ‘true blue leadership’, in reference to the distinctive color of the party. He has been an MP since 2012. His group did not beat the Liberals in the election last September (although Justin Trudeau’s party won by 1.1% in the popular vote). It was the third consecutive election in which the Conservatives were defeated. During the campaign, O’Toole opted for more moderate social proposals. At one of the rallies, he said, “We are no longer the same Conservative Party as our parents.
After the defeat, the waters began to stir within the roster, as some voices questioned a successful future with Erin O’Toole at the helm. In December, Canada enacted a law banning so-called “conversion therapy,” practices that promise to force heterosexuality on people in the LGBT community. O’Toole played a major role in making the project a smooth one. However, several MPs saw it as a move against the more traditionalist sectors of the party. In recent days, O’Toole has come under fire from conservative figures for failing to support the caravan of truckers who demonstrated in Ottawa – along with other protest groups – against mandatory vaccinations for cross-border drivers. and other sanitary measures. O’Toole met with some of these truckers last Friday; he also declared himself in favor of the right to demonstrate, but against any violent or hateful expression.
During Wednesday’s parliamentary session, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made reference to O’Toole. “We disagreed on a lot of things, but he served his country, and I want to thank him for the sacrifices he made,” he said. Candice Bergen, MP for Portage-Lisgar, Manitoba, has been named the interim Conservative Caucus Leader. The next federal election is scheduled for October 2025. However, since the Trudeau Liberals are governing in a minority, the possibility of bringing the election forward is open.
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