New Conservative leader Erin O’Toole met the press for the first time today as leader of the Official Opposition, telling reporters he wants to co-operate with the Liberals to ensure effective leadership during the pandemic, but he also wants Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to address Western alienation in next month’s throne speech.
O’Toole refused to say if the Conservatives would support the speech, set to be delivered on Sept. 23, the day Parliament returns.
He did say the Tories will be ready if Trudeau tries to force a snap election.
“If Mr. Trudeau thinks he can play some games with a new leader and force an election, we will be ready,” O’Toole said.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole arrives to hold his first news conference as leader on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday. O’Toole says he is well aware that he is unknown to many Canadians. Tories are hoping he can emerge from the shadows to compete against the governing Liberals in a strong fashion. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)
O’Toole, who won the leadership on the third ballot early Monday after a long night of delays brought about by technical glitches in the ballot processing system, didn’t get to deliver his victory speech until well past midnight.
Later on Monday, he focused on transition issues and spoke with Trudeau about western alienation, emergency pandemic funding and Trudeau’s decision to prorogue Parliament until Sept. 23.
O’Toole told reporters today he has reached out to Peter MacKay and Leslyn Lewis, two of his leadership opponents, and planned to speak with them later today about what their involvement will be in the coming months.
He also said that he’s spoken with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Ontario Premier Doug Ford and said he plans to soon meet with Quebec Premier François Legault.
There are many Tories who believe O’Toole must tred lightly in dealing with avid social conservative Derek Sloan, who is pictured at a Conservative Party of Canada leadership debate in Toronto on June 18. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin)
O’Toole didn’t say what–if any–role avid social conservative Derek Sloan, who was eliminated in the first round of the leadership vote on Sunday, will play in the party.
O’Toole said he and Sloan have some “very stark differences” in positions, though there are some areas of overlap, such as shared concerns about China.
O’Toole said he didn’t agree with the way Sloan characterized some of his concerns.
O’Toole told reporters has a “clear track record” when it comes to human rights, noting he was one of only 18 Conservative MPs to vote in favour of a bill advancing transgender rights.
“In the coming weeks you’ll also be hearing a lot of Liberal spin about me, in fact, it’s already started. Don’t buy it. Here’s all you need to know about me: I’m here to fight for you and your family, and Canada needs a fighter,” O’Toole said.
O’Toole’s press conference came as a new public opinion published today suggested that at this point he remains an unknown quantity for a majority of Canadians.
Conducted last week, before O’Toole won the leadership, respondents were asked if they’d be more or less likely to vote Conservative if O’Toole was the Tory leader.
O’Toole knows he has a long way to go to capture the fancy of Canadian voters. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)
Fully 51 per cent said they didn’t know.
Another 37 per cent said they’d be less likely to vote Conservative while just 13 per cent said they’d be more likely.
When asked specifically which party would earn their vote should O’Toole be leading the Conservatives, Liberal support actually bumped up one point while Conservative support dropped to 27 per cent.
The Léger survey–conducted with the Association for Canadian Studies—suggests that Trudeau’s Liberals are well placed should they lose a confidence vote on the speech from the Throne, set for Sept. 23.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau removes a cloth mask as he approaches the podium during an announcement at a factory in Brockville, Ont., last Friday. A new public opinion bodes well for Trudeau’s Liberals at the moment, suggesting they are well placed should they lose a confidence vote on the speech from the Throne, set to be delivered on Sept. 23. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)
Respondents were split about the prospect of a federal election this fall, with 42 per cent opposed to the idea, 38 per cent in favour and 19 per cent unsure.
If an election were held today, the survey found, 38 per cent of decided voters said they’d support Trudeau’s Liberals, compared to 30 per cent for the Conservatives, 18 per cent for the NDP and six per cent for the Greens.
The Bloc Quebecois were at 33 per cent in Quebec, statistically tied with the Liberals in that province at 32 per cent, with the Conservatives well behind at 16 per cent, the NDP at 12 per cent and the Greens at four per cent.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh got top marks on honesty and integrity, with 24 per cent saying he best shows those qualities, compared to 16 per cent for Trudeau, who has been mired for months in the so-called WE Charity scandal, and 12 per cent for O’Toole.
On Tuesday, O’Toole acknowledged he has work to do in getting Canadians to know him.
“I’m not famous, I’m not well known. I get things done. I don’t drop the ball and I’ve always fought for Canadians,” he said.
“I have no famous name. I just fight for Canadians. And after the pandemic, with record deficits, with the challenges we face in the world, we need a fighter. I think we’re tired of a directionless, divisive and ethically challenged liberal government.”
With files from CBC News (Kathleen Harris), The Canadian Press, RCI
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