Today: February 2, 2022

Today: February 2, 2022

By Andrew Thomson | UPDATED 9:43pmET

Update: Candice Bergen will serve as Conservative deputy leader, following tonight's vote by MPs. Nine candidates were on the ballot.

Conservative MPs vote to remove Erin O'Toole as party leader

Erin O’Toole’s leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada ended today when more than 60 per cent of MPs voted him out by secret ballot during a virtual caucus meeting.

The 73 to 45 vote via the Reform Act means a new interim leader will be selected later today to serve until the Conservative Party of Canada holds its third leadership race in five years.

Watch PrimeTime Politics with Peter Van Dusen for full coverage at 8pm ET / 5pm PT

"I pledge my support and unwavering loyalty to our next leader," O'Toole said this afternoon in brief remarks via Facebook, adding Canada is in a "dire moment" and requires its leaders to hear all voices and not just "echoes from your own tribe."

"This country needs a Conservative party that is both an intellectual force and a governing force," O'Toole said. "Ideology without power is vanity. Seeking power without ideology is hubris."

O'Toole also said he would continue as Member of Parliament for Durham, Ont.  

Watch Erin O'Toole deliver's video statement on Facebook:

Here is the official statement from caucus chair Scott Reid, who did not take part in the vote:

A leadership review vote, held earlier today pursuant to Section 49.5 of the Parliament of Canada Act, produced the following results:

There are 119 MPs in the CPC caucus. The chair did not vote. Therefore, 118 votes were cast.

Of these, 45 were in favour of endorsing the leadership of Erin O’Toole, and 73 were in favour of replacing Erin O’Toole as leader of the Conservative Party.

Watch reaction from Conservative MPs:

O’Toole had been under internal fire for months, accused of ignoring party members on policy, flip-flopping on carbon pricing and gun control, and using a heavy-handed approach with dissidents.

The 49-year-old had said today's vote was a "time for a reckoning" on the future of his leadership and the direction of the party itself, after a number of MPs sought to force a leadership review within caucus.

At least 20% of the Conservative party's 119 MPs were needed to trigger the caucus leadership review and secret-ballot vote, according to the Reform Act.

Alberta MP Tom Kmiec and New Brunswick MP John Williamson are among those seeking the interim leadership.

O'Toole wrote on Twitter that he wanted the matter settled: "Right here. Right now. Once and for all."

"I will accept the result of this vote," he said Monday night. "The signers of this letter must accept it, too. They brought it. They’ll have to live with it."

The Conservative party faces two options, O'Toole added. One is "angry, negative and extreme," a "dead-end" that would leave Conservatives shut out of government. The other, he said, is a message of "inclusion, optimism, ideas and hope" that reflects modern Canada. 

Calgary Heritage MP Bob Benzen accused O'Toole of "flip-flops and questionable judgment" in publicly calling for a caucus review, saying a vote is necessary to avoid a potentially irreparable split within the Conservative party.

Benzen went further yesterday, deeming O'Toole's Twitter comments an attempt at intimidation and a threat to party unity:

Meanwhile, Edmonton-area MP Garnett Genuis accused O'Toole and his staff of divisive leadership -- and confirmed about one-third of Conservative MPs want a leadership vote. 

"Mr. O'Toole should recognize that his position is untenable, rather than using lies to publicly attack members of his own team," Genuis wrote Monday night. 

Although the Conservatives won the 2021 popular vote under O’Toole (33.7%), the party failed to increase its seat count or make gains in riding-rich urban regions, notably the Greater Toronto Area and B.C.’s Lower Mainland.

In the House

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend question period remotely; he remains in isolation after announcing a positive COVID-19 test result on Monday. (2:15pm ET / 11:15am PT)

Outside the Parliament Buildings, protest leaders vow to remain in place "for as long as it takes" until all COVID-19 mandates are ended across Canada -- despite the continuing disruption to life and business in downtown Ottawa and tension with residents.

Watch: Ottawa's policy chief speaks on anti-vaccine protesters and disruption

Debate begins on a bill to implement measures from the December economic and fiscal update.

C-8 includes:

  • $1.7 billion to the provinces and territories for rapid testing
  • a Small Businesses Air Quality Improvement Tax Credit for ventilation and air filtration upgrades
  • expansion of the School Supplies Tax Credit 
  • a tax credit to return fuel charge proceeds to farmers in provinces subject to the federal carbon backstop
  • the Liberal pledge to impose a 1% annual tax on the value of "vacant or underused residential property directly or indirectly owned by non-resident non-Canadians."

In Committee

The Standing Committee on National Defence hears from Ihor Michalchyshyn (Ukrainian Canadian Congress), David Mulroney (Canada's former ambassador to China), and David Perry (Canadian Global Affairs Institute) on military threats and Canada's operational readiness. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT

The Commons trade committee, meanwhile, looks at the Biden administration's effort to prioritize U.S.-made electric vehicles -- and what that means for Canada's auto sector. MPs hear from the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association, Unifor, Toyota Canada, and Electric Mobility Canada. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT

Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson faces questions on last November's report from environment commissioner Jerry DeMarco that the $675-million Onshore Program of the Emissions Reduction Fund was “poorly designed” and that officials overestimated expected reductions in the oil and gas sector. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT

MPs on the Commons heritage committee hear testimony on the pandemic's effect on Canada's arts, culture, heritage, and sports sectors. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT

Today in Politics: Mark Sutcliffe and Dan Leger

Erin O’Toole’s leadership faces a crucial vote today; More calls for the protest in Ottawa to come to an end; And Quebec scraps its plans to introduce a health tax for the unvaccinated.

Here's your morning update with Mark Sutcliffe: