Erin O'Toole ousted as leader of Canada's Conservative Party
Canada's Conservative members of Parliament ousted Erin O'Toole from his role as party leader Wednesday, The Globe and Mail reported.
MPs voted 73-45 to unseat O'Toole, according to two people who were present at the meeting and who spoke under condition of anonymity.
Per The Globe and Mail, O'Toole's ouster after only 17 months at the helm sets up the Conservative Party's "third leadership race since 2015."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Conservative MP Bob Benzen, who supported O'Toole in the 2017 and 2020 leadership contests, called for the vote to remove O'Toole on Jan. 31.
"Mr. O'Toole campaigned in the leadership contest as a principled conservative voice that would united the party," Benzen wrote in a statement. "However, since Mr. O'Toole assumed the position of leader, there have been numerous instances of flip-flops and questionable judgement on Mr. O'Toole's part."
Among these instances, Benzen listed O'Toole's support for a carbon tax and his "[f]ailure to stand up for the charter rights of Canadians during the pandemic."
Benzen also noted that the Conservatives have lost seats during O'Toole's tenure as leader.
O'Toole was initially defiant, saying, "I'm not going anywhere and I'm not going back," the National Post reported.
With O'Toole gone, The Globe and Mail reports that possible contenders to replace him "include prominent Ottawa-area MP Pierre Poilievre and Ontario MP Leslyn Lewis."
Conservative MPs will elect an interim leader before Wednesday's meeting adjourns.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aid
Speed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published