Former Conservative party leader O’Toole was given the green light to exit stage left.
More than half of the party’s caucus, a total of 73 of the 118 MPs, voted in favour of seeking a new leader to take over the helm of the nation’s opposition party.
“Obviously, the decisions have been made and we’re focusing on moving forward together as a team,” said MP York-Simcoe Scot Davidson shortly after the vote count was announced Wednesday.
“For us as a caucus, this is about a leader Erin O’Toole who served the country – I think all Canadians regardless of your political stripe – it is something to thank someone for, his service,” Davidson said.
However, with the pandemic and the economy needing a clear directive, Davidson said Conservative members of parliament showed they want to move the nation in a new direction than the one previously envisioned under O’Toole’s leadership.
“Ultimately today, caucus has decided the best way forward is a different direction. We all respect that,” he said.
“It’s about the country right now – it’s about Canada. I don’t think it’s about going more Conservative or more Liberal or more left, more right or more middle – it’s about what we felt was going to be best for Canada at this time.
“These are fluid situations we are in now – with the protest here. We need leadership right now.”
Since last weekend, thousands of people have blocked the downtown core between the House of Commons and the War Museum, he said, adding the government must be held accountable to the people.
“There’s an open wound in Canada right now, whether people want to realize that or not and the Prime Minister is not trying to triage that wound – he really isn’t and that is frustrating a lot of Canadians. Right now that is the leadership we need.”
Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard said although he had a good relationship with the former leader when O’Toole was the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Brassard was in the role as critic, he too believes it’s time for a change.
“I think everyone’s looking forward,” Brassard said, “Like any organization, you end up going in a different direction and sometimes the person that’s leading the organization doesn’t become part of the direction you’re going.”
Brassard said the new direction focused not only on holding the government accountable to the people but also uniting Canadians during the pandemic and beyond.
“There’s a lot of division, a lot of fear, lot of anxiety and we want the country to be united because of the magnitude of the challenges that we’re facing,” he said.
“People are tired and they’re fed up and they just want to get back to some sense of normalcy. It’s been a long two years,” he said.
“If you’re going to ask me what I want in a leader, it’s going to be someone who is going to unite us in our cause.”
An interim leader was expected to be voted in at a 7 p.m. caucus meeting Wednesday night.
