Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leader Erin O’Toole warns members of his caucus who are tempted to challenge him that they may no longer “be part of the team” if they do not support his leadership and its priorities.
“We are united as a team, and we focus on three things: the economy out of control, a corrupt Liberal government […] and a professional approach to managing the pandemic. Anyone who is not on this page, who does not put the team and the country first, will not be part of the team, ”said Mr. O’Toole, before entering a caucus meeting with his 118 fellow MPs, in addition to Conservative senators, in Ottawa on Wednesday.
The day before, the leader had “kicked out of the national caucus” Conservative Senator Denise Batters. The senator appointed by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper had launched a petition to quickly submit Erin O’Toole to a vote of confidence from activists.
“I am and always will be a curator. It is ironic that Erin O’Toole is dismissing me from the national Conservative caucus for asking to adhere to principles and policies that our Conservative members have supported, ”responded the senator in a statement Wednesday morning. It notes that another senator who asked for such a vote of confidence did not face any sanction.
“The fact that he [M. O’Toole] responding to that with threats and intimidation says a lot, ”she concludes.
“We have a unity crisis now, we have an inflation crisis now, we have questions, uncertainties about the pandemic. You have to be ready to govern and professional as an MP, as a senator, and that was not the case for Ms. Batters, ”Erin O’Toole commented on Wednesday.
Nine of the 10 elected Conservatives in Quebec have shown their support for Leader Erin O’Toole. Only the member for Portneuf – Jacques-Cartier, Joël Godin, could not be reached by The duty at the time of this writing.
Vaccination passport to Parliament on Monday
Conservative elected officials are meeting Wednesday and Thursday in Ottawa to prepare for the next parliamentary session, which begins in person on Monday, more than two months after the September 20 general election. All elected officials will however have to be fully vaccinated to enter, according to a directive issued by the Speaker of the House, which portends a problem for possible unvaccinated Conservative MPs.
The Conservative leader intends to challenge this decision as soon as he has the opportunity. However, his party declines to reveal how many elected officials refused the inoculation, just as he did not want to indicate how many candidates were not vaccinated against COVID-19 during the election campaign. MPs from all other parties have ensured they are fully immunized.
Discussions within the Conservative caucus are likely to be tense, as a group within the party has reportedly taken steps to unite in a “minicaucus” in defense of unvaccinated Canadians. The “civil liberties caucus” would have 15 to 30 conservative deputies and senators, according to the estimate of the instigator, the elected Marilyn Gladu. However, no other elected official has shown his support for this cause since. As for Marilyn Gladu, she was subsequently rebuffed by her boss for suggesting that the coronavirus was less worse than polio.
With The Canadian Press