Conservative Party’s national council to discuss Batters’ early leadership review petition at Dec. 10-12 meeting, if not before, says party president Batherson
The Conservative Party’s powerful 21-member national council, the top elected body of the party, will discuss Senator Denise Batters’ petition for Erin O’Toole’s early leadership review at its Dec. 10-12 quarterly in-person meeting in Ottawa, if not before, says the party’s president. On Monday, Conservative Sen. Batters (Saskatchewan), who was appointed to the Senate by […]
Alberta’s champion strikes again
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Former prime minister Stephen Harper recently executed a vintage Stephen-Harperian-style move. While speaking to a think tank, he vigorously defended the interests of Alberta. More specifically, Harper castigated the Liberal government’s climate-change-fighting plans arguing they unfairly targeted his home province. As he put it, “Obviously, the way some things are being handled today—where certain […]
Tories can’t let tiff get in the way of parliamentary progress
There’s a common lament that there’s too tight of a hold within political parties, that caucus members don’t have enough freedom to stray from the party line. Unfettered fealty to a party leader is looked at askance, but—as has been showcased on a grand scale this year—so is publicly questioning a leader’s ability to stay […]
Memo to Conservatives: get your act together
OTTAWA—Now I have some sense of what it felt like to be a columnist—and I use that term loosely—in the early 2000s, the last time Canada’s national conservatives were having an identity crisis. Then, as now, it seems a few days can’t go by without some internal conflict spilling out into the public domain. Social […]
Conservative Sen. Batters launches petition for O’Toole leadership review
Saskatchewan Conservative Senator Denise Batters has launched a petition for a review of Erin O’Toole’s leadership review within six months. “O’Toole won the leadership race claiming to be a “true blue” Conservative, but ran an election campaign nearly indistinguishable from Trudeau’s Liberals. Conservatives and Canadians can’t afford more of the same,” Sen. Batters wrote on […]
Conservatives’ national council strikes candidate nomination rules committee for next election, says Batherson
The Conservative Party’s national council, the highest elected governing body of the party, has set up a six-member ad hoc committee of councillors from across the country to make recommendations for the next election’s candidate nomination rules, says party president Rob Batherson. “So what we did at the national council meeting in the middle of […]
Conservative Party now says Bert Chen’s suspension is indefinite, not ‘up to 60 days’
The president of the federal Conservative Party now says there is “no end date” for the suspension of the Ontario national councillor Bert Chen for his attempt to get Erin O’Toole ousted as party leader. Rob Batherson told The Hill Times on Oct. 13 that Mr. Chen had been suspended for up to 60 days […]
Conservatives at risk of jumping the shark
OTTAWA—Breaking news! No, it is not the supposed deal between the NDP and Liberals to sign a three-year parliamentary non-aggression pact. After lengthy weekend talks, Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu has convinced Green Bay Packers quarterback and medical savant Aaron Rodgers to join the newly formed Conservative Civil Liberties Caucus as a science adviser. Sources say […]
In a move pollster calls ‘a direct challenge’ to O’Toole’s leadership, 15 to 30 Tory MPs and Senators starting new caucus to speak up for anti-vaxxers losing jobs
Erin O’Toole’s stance on COVID-19 vaccinations hurt the Conservative Party’s recent election campaign and remains a divisive internal issue as a group of 15 to 30 Conservative MPs and Senators is set to start a new intra-party caucus on Nov. 8 called the “Civil Liberties Caucus” that Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu says will speak up […]
How to push for ideals in a pragmatic world
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Warning: if you’re an idealist who goes into politics armed with grand notions about changing the world for the better, the odds are good you’ll likely end up being disappointed. After all, the cynicism that drenches most aspects of politics has a way of scouring away idealism and replacing it with a hard-headed pragmatism. […]
