O’Toole clinches Conservative leadership victory, after malfunctioning machine delays ballot tally
Conservative MP Erin O’Toole will lead the Conservatives in the next election, after ultimately beating presumptive front-runner Peter MacKay on the third ballot, the party announced in the wee hours of Monday morning, several hours after its original schedule. In a race that saw Mr. O’Toole labelled as a potential spoiler to the inevitable coronation […]
Take note, Conservatives: Canada is not ready to move on from COVID
HALIFAX—For the second time in just under a year, a lot of Conservatives are wearing Cheshire Cat smiles. The first time, in 2019, the party was salivating at the prospect of toppling Justin Trudeau after just a single term. After all, the Shiny New Pony was covered in mud: Black-face blunders from yesteryear; no balanced […]
A new leader for a party in search of itself
OTTAWA—Despite having run the strangest, least impactful leadership contest by a major party in memory, the Conservatives have ended up choosing a new leader at what could be a very advantageous moment. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s brand has worn thin. For all his commitment to helping Canadians achieve better outcomes—on poverty, the environment, and Indigenous […]
Conservative race still too close to call, say MPs, strategists, but Lewis’ breakout role one to watch
The Conservative leadership race may be ending as it started—as a toss-up between two Conservative stalwarts—but the ongoing ethics probes into the government and a political rookie’s strong showing have helped energize what pundits had once dismissed as a lacklustre race, says one strategist. Andrew Brander, a former Conservative staffer and now senior consultant with […]
Would-be Conservative leaders wooing Quebec dairy farmers, but organizers say they won’t decide the race this time
The three leading candidates in the Conservative leadership race have all reached out to Quebec’s dairy farmers with promises to protect the supply management system, in a bid to win support from a group that may have swung the last contest in favour of now outgoing Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. However, the organizer of a […]
On the eve of the vote, MacKay’s front-runner status is no longer secure
OTTAWA—In two shorts weeks, the Conservative Party of Canada will vote for a new leader. If the recent uptick in fundraising numbers holds for Erin O’Toole, the race momentum appears to be shifting. Internal and public polling put veteran Peter MacKay far ahead of the rest of the pack in terms of party and national […]
Next CPC leader likely to be announced in virtual event, bringing challenges and potential benefits, say strategists
Plans are still being finalized, but thanks to COVID-19, the next leader of the federal Conservative Party will likely be announced in a virtual event, a forced reality strategists say creates the risk of a “lost opportunity” for the party and more impetus for the race winner to hit the ground running. “The concern is […]
Caucus endorsements ‘valuable indicator’ of who MPs, Senators think could best lead party to power, says a leading pollster
With the Conservative leadership election in the home stretch and Peter MacKay leading in caucus endorsements, political insiders say public support from MPs and Senators does not guarantee a win for a candidate, but provides a good gauge of who MPs and Senators think has the best chance to lead the party to power in […]
RCMP, Canada Elections commissioner probing O’Toole campaign allegation that it was hacked by MacKay campaign, says O’Toole campaign
The RCMP and the commissioner of Canada Elections have started probing Erin O’Toole campaign’s hacking allegation against the Peter MacKay campaign, a spokesperson for the O’Toole campaign told The Hill Times. “It’s easy to be confused by the technical details of what took place, or muddy the waters with misrepresentations,” said Melanie Paradis, a spokesperson […]
If MacKay doesn’t win on the first ballot, social conservative voters critical in the leadership outcome, say political players
A committed group of thousands of socially conservative voters will play a critical role in deciding the Conservative Party’s leadership election if presumed front-runner Peter MacKay doesn’t win the contest on the first ballot, say political insiders. “If Peter MacKay doesn’t win on the first ballot, then that seems likely [social conservatives deciding the outcome],” […]
