Erin O’Toole, leader of Canada’s main opposition Conservative Party, was unceremoniously dumped on Wednesday after an overwhelming majority of MPs voted for his removal.
O’Toole was ousted after 73 of the party’s 119 MPs voted against him in a review of his leadership. O’Toole also serves as the leader of the opposition in the House of Commons. MPs voted in the evening to elect MP Candace Bergen as the party’s interim leader.
The departure of O’Toole, who was defeated by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party in an early national election in September, underscores the precarious state of the Conservative Party since the resignation of former leader and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 2015 was voted best by Trudeau in the 2015 poll. But Harper had been prime minister for eight years before that election.
The Conservatives will now have to hold another leadership race 18 months after the last one, with O’Toole’s appearance beating out the most popular former cabinet minister Peter Mackay.
O’Toole tried to move it to the center of the party with a moderate stance on issues such as climate change, but that strategy failed in the election. He led the Conservative Party to 119 seats in the election, two down from his predecessor Andrew Scheer.
Despite the party’s improved performance, Scheer resigned in 2020 with 22 more MPs than 99 in 2015.
O’Toole appeared defiant earlier, tweeting: “I’m not going anywhere.” But he accepted the defeat and quit the game on Wednesday.
The date of the leadership race will be set in the coming days, but could prompt another leader to enter the electoral battle early, amid speculation that Trudeau, who leads a minority government for the second time in a row, could win a majority again in 2023 seat.
However, there have also been recent reports of growing dissatisfaction with Trudeau’s leadership within the Liberal Party and whether he will survive the storm and lead the party into another election as his unpopularity soars.
Rumored to be potential leadership contenders include MPs Pierre Poilievre, Leslyn Lewis, Mackay and former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
