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Conservative senator launches petition pushing for review of O’Toole’s leadership

Nov 15, 2021 | 11:16 AM

OTTAWA — A Conservative senator has begun a petition pushing for review of Erin O’Toole’s leadership of the party within six months.

Sen. Denise Batters, a vocal critic of O’Toole, says he cannot lead the party to victory in the next election.

In a video accompanying the online petition, Batters says a rift among Conservatives is growing.

She says O’Toole has watered down, and even entirely reversed, the party’s policy positions on guns, carbon-pricing and conscience rights without input from caucus members.

Batters accuses O’Toole of running a failed election campaign that was almost indistinguishable from Justin Trudeau’s Liberals despite winning the party leadership claiming to be “true blue.”

She says five per cent of Conservative members in five provinces must sign the petition in order for it to succeed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2021.

The Canadian Press