Trudeau wants an early election, O'Toole says in first news conference as Conservative leader
New Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole says he’s preparing to ask Canadians to give him the job of prime minister because he believes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants an early election.
“Justin Trudeau would rather play politics than do his job,” said O’Toole at a Tuesday morning news conference. “It’s time to stop catering to insiders and special interests.”
In his opening comments, O’Toole sought to portray himself as a champion for average Canadians, and warned that political attacks against him have already begun.
“You’ll also be hearing a lot of Liberal spin about me. In fact, it’s already started. Don’t buy it,” said O’Toole, who added that he was a fighter for the middle class. He said his family is contemplating many of the big issues that go along with the COVID-19 pandemic, including whether to send kids to school, and how parents can make that experience less fraught.
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“We know what it’s like to worry about our kids and their anxiousness about returning to school,” he said.
On his first day as party leader, O’Toole said he has raised concerns about Western alienation with Trudeau, calling it a “significant threat to Canadian unity.” O’Toole also had phone calls with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, he said. He said he will be arranging an in-person meeting with Quebec Premier François Legault and will soon announce his shadow cabinet.
O’Toole was speaking to reporters for the first time since winning the party’s leadership in a lengthy convention that stretched into the early hours of Monday morning due to technical issues.
O’Toole, who is the MP for Durham, saw off the challenges of former cabinet minister Peter MacKay, Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis and MP Derek Sloan.
• Email: sxthomson@postmedia.com | Twitter: stuartxthomson
