The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) caucus has picked Candice Bergen to be their interim leader after voting to oust Erin O’Toole on Wednesday.
Caucus met this evening to hash out who would steer the party until an official leadership race determines O’Toole’s successor. The interim party leader is barred from running for the post.
Some others who cast their name for the interim leadership included John Barlow, John Williamson, Rob Moore, Tom Kmiec, John Brassard, Kerry-Lynne Findlay and Marilyn Gladu.
Bergen has represented the riding of Portage-Lisgar since 2008. Prior to becoming interim leader, the Manitoban was deputy leader of the party under O’Toole. Bergen has also served as Canada’s minister of state for social development and parliamentary secretary to the minister of public safety in the Harper government.
Recently, Bergen has been a vocal supporter of the Truckers for Freedom convoy.
On Wednesday morning, CPC Members of Parliament voted to dismiss O’Toole as leader after many claimed he had taken the party in the wrong direction.
During the 2021 federal election, O’Toole failed to make any gains for the CPC, thereby ensuring another Liberal minority victory.
While in charge, O’Toole flip-flopped on several key campaign promises including the federal carbon tax, defunding the CBC, firearms rights, balanced budgets and vaccine passports.
O’Toole resigned soon after the vote on Wednesday but said he plans to stay on as MP under the new CPC leader.
“Our party founded this great nation,” said O’Toole in a video statement following his resignation. “I believe it can and should lead Canada out of these troubling times for our country.”
“I want to thank the people of Durham who I will continue to serve as Member of Parliament. I never lose sight of what an honour it is for me to serve my hometown in Parliament, and there is not a bad seat in the House of Commons.”
Several potential candidates for the new CPC leader have already been floated.
Among them are finance critic Pierre Poilievre, former leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis and natural resources critic Michelle Rempel Garner.
The key challenge the new interim leader faces will be healing the rifts in the party left by O’Toole’s leadership.
There are some CPC MPs like Michael Chong who likely still want the party to move closer to the centre, while others including Pierre Poilievre represent a return to the party’s conservative grassroots.
The CPC’s last interim leader was Rona Ambrose, who replaced former leader Andrew Scheer after he was ousted following the results of the 2019 federal election. That set the stage for the 2020 leadership race that saw Erin O’Toole defeat three other contenders, including former cabinet minister Peter MacKay.
