Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole faces a caucus revolt, with 35 MPs signing a letter calling for a leadership review vote over concerns about the direction of the Official Opposition party, sources say.
The letter, sent to caucus chair Scott Reid on Monday, would require a leadership review vote by Conservative MPs as early as Wednesday’s regular caucus meeting. If Mr. O’Toole were to lose the vote, he would have to step down immediately.
MPs would then have to elect an interim caucus leader while the Conservative Party calls a leadership race. Sources say at least 63 of the elected 119 Conservative MPs are willing to vote against Mr. O’Toole.
A source close to Mr. O’Toole said he will fight to stay on as leader. His office would not officially comment on the challenge to his leadership.
The 2013 Reform Act, sponsored by Conservative MP Michael Chong and adopted by Parliament, forces any party to review its leadership if a written notice signed by at least 20 per cent of caucus members is submitted to the caucus chair. However, the act applies only if the caucus votes to adopt it .
Internal discussions took place over the weekend within Conservative ranks on whether to trigger a caucus leadership vote, multiple sources say.
The discussions intensified after Mr. O’Toole’s office learned that dissidents were attempting to gather a minimum of 24 MPs to force a leadership vote, according to six sources.
The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources, who were not authorized to discuss internal party matters.
Conservative Party Whip James Bezan made calls on Sunday and Monday to dissident MPs, warning of repercussions if they tried to oust Mr. O’Toole, the sources said. Mr. Bezan did not immediately respond to The Globe for comment.
A senior source close to Mr. O’Toole said he had been advised to trigger the vote as early as Wednesday’s caucus meeting. His office was unware of the letter signed by the 35 MPs.
Late Monday, Conservative MP Bob Benson expressed support for a caucus leadership review, saying Mr. O’Toole has flipflopped on numerous issues, citing the support for a carbon tax, refusal to challenge Quebec’s new law to beef up the French Language Charter and “failure to stand up to Charter of Rights during the pandemic.”
“I believe the Conservative caucus has given Mr. O’Toole more than enough chances for a course correction to resolve the concerns of many grassroots members of the party,” the Calgary MP tweeted. “In consideration of Mr. O’Toole’s record of leader, I believe a caucus leadership review is the only way to avoid a dangerous split in the Conservative Party that may not be repairable.
Mr. O’Toole had been advised to end the internal dissension by getting his own supporters to force the caucus vote and give him the breathing room to present a mainstream alternative to the Trudeau Liberals, sources said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attacked Mr. O’Toole on Monday because some of his MPs – including some critics of his leadership – voiced support for the anti-vaccination protest on Parliament Hill, where some demonstrators waved Nazi and confederate flags and danced on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
James Cumming, a former Edmonton MP who wrote a postelection report for Mr. O’Toole, had recommended that the embattled leader hold a secret ballot caucus vote to end the internal sniping, two sources said. At the moment, Mr. O’Toole is not required to face a leadership review until the Conservative Party’s national convention in August, 2023.
Mr. Cumming would not comment when contacted by The Globe on Monday. But two sources said Mr. Cumming told Mr. O’Toole a caucus vote was a legitimate tool and would demonstrate he has majority support of MPs.
Mr. O’Toole cannot order a vote on his leadership. He would need 24 or more MPs to say in writing that they want one. However, he can persuade loyalist members to request one, according to an MP who favours such an action.
One dissident MP said the anti-O’Toole faction would favour a clear vote one way or the other.
A senior Conservative MP supports Mr. O’Toole but requested anonymity to speak frankly, said the leader needs the support of caucus to function. The source said most of the 119 elected MPs support Mr. O’Toole.
Mr. Cumming’s internal review of the Conservatives’ 2021 election campaign found that Mr. O’Toole came across as over-coached and needed to be more assertive. The report also urged the party to review its team of senior advisers, reduce infighting and do a better job of reaching out to racialized communities, sources say.
Mr. Cumming’s report also recommends the party improve its election readiness by modernizing its voter identification and contact practices, and change its nomination rules.
As a sign of Mr. O’Toole’s weakened leadership, Tory MPs from Saskatchewan recently decided to confirm Senator Denise Batters as a member of their regional caucus, even though Mr. O’Toole kicked her out of the national caucus in November for launching a petition that challenged his leadership.
Ms. Batters has been promoting online a Nanos poll showing respondents favoured Conservative Finance critic Pierre Poilievre as leader over Mr. O’Toole.
Last Thursday, the party’s Nipissing-Timiskaming riding association became the fourth to call for a leadership review before this summer, rather than in 2023.
