By Canadian Press

Candice Bergen shakes up O’Toole’s parliamentary leadership team, drops Quebec MP

Feb 4, 2022 | 4:38 PM

OTTAWA — New Conservative Interim Leader Candice Bergen has done a clean sweep of former leader Erin O’Toole’s leadership team in Parliament. 

Tory MPs were informed Friday of the major shakeup, which follows their decision to force O’Toole from the job by a vote of 73 to 45. 

Bergen announced that effective immediately Quebec MP Gérard Deltell, Ontario’s Michael Barrett, Alberta’s Blake Richards and fellow Manitoba MP James Bezan were off the team. 

She replaced them with Ontario MP John Brassard, who will serve as her House leader, as well as Tom Kmiec, who will be the Tories’ deputy House leader. 

Both Brassard and Kmiec were among the nine candidates to have recently run for interim leader. 

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Bergen also appointed Alberta MP Blaine Calkins as her chief Opposition whip and Ontario’s Lianne Rood as her deputy whip. 

With the removal of Deltell, the Tories now have no representative from Quebec on their parliamentary leadership team. 

At least three of O’Toole’s picks still remain in the inner circle. 

Those include MP Alain Rayes, who is the Conservatives’ Quebec lieutenant, as well as Ontario MP Erin Duncan, who is caucus secretary and Alberta MP Tim Uppal, tasked with outreach. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2022.

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press