Group championing O’Toole’s strategy for Tories emerges as he faces leadership vote

OTTAWA — In the wake of Erin O’Toole’s caucus forcing a vote on his leadership, a new group has cropped up championing his strategy as being what’s best for the Conservative Party of Canada. 

Tory activist Fraser Macdonald, who supported O’Toole in the last leadership race, says he had the idea for the effort before news broke that one-third of O’Toole’s caucus wanted him gone. 

The website for the group, called Majority Committee, launched today, hours after O’Toole took to social media just before midnight saying he intends to fight for his job. 

In his post, O’Toole paints the MPs who signed the letter requesting the leadership vote as believing the party should hold more extreme views resembling those of Ontario MPP Randy Hillier and ex-MP Derek Sloan. 

That’s in contrast with what O’Toole says he is trying to build with a more inclusive and moderate brand of conservatism. 

But those MPs calling for O’Toole’s dismissal say the issue lies with the leader himself and his failings, which include flip-flips on carbon pricing and gun control, along with not delivering a clear message on matters like the truck convoy protest. 

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For Macdonald, he believes it’s only those who are angry with O’Toole and the direction he’s taken the party whose voices are being heard. 

“My concern is that the party changes its strategy and moves more in a direction where we’re listening to one wing of the party over others,” he said Tuesday. 

MPs expect a leadership vote to happen at the next meeting of national caucus on Wednesday.

Legislation passed in 2015 spells out how a secret ballot vote could be held. If his caucus votes to replace him, a second vote would take place to choose an interim leader of the party. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2022

The Canadian Press