[…] National Telegraph […]
Written By Wyatt Claypool, Posted on February 10, 2021
This morning the Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O’Toole shuffled the party’s shadow cabinet ministers, with the most high profile and controversial moving being the replacement of Pierre Poilievre with Ed Fast for the Finance Critical role, with Poilievre being moved to being the Critic for Jobs and Industry.
In O’Toole’s statement regarding the changes to his shadow cabinet he did not acknowledge or explain the change to Poilievre’s role:
Our team is relentlessly focused on rounding the corner in this pandemic and getting Canadians back to work. We can’t afford a Liberal economic experiment that has failed wherever it’s been tried before and will put untold Canadians out of work.
This choice by O’Toole and inner circles doesn’t make a lot of sense on its face. MP Fast under Stephen Harper was the Minister of International Trade and since the Liberals were in power was the Critic of the Environment, not making him an exact 1 to 1 fit for the Finance Critic role.
Poilievre on the other hand has proved himself to be a natural when it comes to holding the Liberals’ feet to the fire on their poor management of the economy, and public funds, as well as their various financial scandals like SNC Lavalin, and the WE Charity scandals.
“All the substance is blacked out”: Tory finance critic Pierre Poilievre showed pages of redacted documents from the WE Charity affair, accusing the government of engaging in a cover-up.
Read more here: https://t.co/qQh4aJELyO pic.twitter.com/IdOm5jmXUb
— CTV News (@CTVNews) August 19, 2020
Not only was Poilievre highly skilled at applying pressure to the Liberal government, to the point people like Bill Morneau seemed to really hate him, but Poilievre was also one of few real Canadian political stars who could shine a spotlight on Liberal mismanagement and scandals despite the best efforts of the media.
Erin O’Toole just fired his top-performing MP, Pierre Poilievre. That’s a strange reward for forcing the resignation of Bill Morneau and striking terror in the hearts of Liberals.
But maybe that’s just it: O’Toole prefers a weak team that doesn’t outshine him.
O’Who?
Exactly. pic.twitter.com/x26ar7tGth
— Ezra Levant 🍁 (@ezralevant) February 10, 2021
It is notable that out of all the Conservative MPs Pierre Poilievre had far and away from the most popular social media pages/accounts with Michele Rempel and Erin O’Toole’s pages being a distant 2nd and 3rd.
Now with Fast in the Finance Critic role, who may be good in carrying out his duties, it seems like clearly a choice from O’Toole’s crew in order to take the CPC’s emphasis away from the free-market focused economics that Poilievre championed.
Fast had endorsed O’Toole back during the 2017 Conservative leadership race and MacKay in the 2020 race, which indicates not only that he is definitely a red-tory, and unlikely to be hawkish when it comes to fiscal conservatism.
Not sure Ed Fast, a relatively slow draw in Question Period gunfighting, is the best CPC pick to take on the finance minister. Pierre Poilievre was lightning quick and often drew blood. https://t.co/dzzLMenaXa via @torontostar
— Don Martin (@DonMartinCTV) February 10, 2021
O’Toole has been increasingly obsessed purely with the issue of vaccine procurement, and has shifted away from social conservative issues, as well as traditional conservative economic issues, evident in his support for carbon taxes being applied to “big emitters” during his successful bid for the leadership of the party.
It also seems quite evident that O’Toole doesn’t seem to get along with other MPs in his party that have opposing economic and social views to him and knows how to get themselves attention.
Derek Sloan was the first MP to fall under the ire of O’Toole for rallying social conservatives within the party and it seems now Poilievre is being demoted to a less prominent Critic role because he wasn’t moving in the economically centrist direction O’Toole was.
This is not the first time O’Toole and his team have seemingly undermined Poilievre, back during the leadership election it was revealed David Parker O’Toole’s campaign field manager had “gutted” Poilievre to keep him from running for the leadership.
Poilievre, through sheer force of personality, will likely still succeed in garnering himself attention and promoting his conservative economics through his new role as Jobs and Industry Critic, but there is no doubt this will make it more difficult for him to shape the political conversation in Canada from that lower-level role.
O’Toole and the Conservative Party leadership by getting rid of, or demoting, MPs who are firebrands in their areas of political expertise are merely causing self-inflicted wounds. They are only alienating more the CPC’s base and for no clear benefit when it comes to attracting new voters.
The people at the top of the Conservative Party do not seem to care about electoral success as much as reshaping the party into a centre-left, media-friendly, political machine, more interested in winning the 905 than forming a majority government.
Wyatt is a student at Mount Royal University, where he is the president of its Campus Conservative club. In his writing, he focuses on covering provincial and federal politics, firearms regulation, and the energy sector. Wyatt has also previously written for The Post Millennial.
[…] National Telegraph […]
A well written report. Thanks for your effort. It raises awareness.
[…] National Telegraph […]
November 11, 2024
September 27, 2024
I wouldn’t look at it as a bad move, maybe this would work out better
No hope of defeating the Liberals… these idiots running the Party, including O’Foole, take voters money, live off of it and just try to make sure they stay in office as long as they can to collect pensions and benefits. Then they go off and become advisors/consultants for the companies that want to bribe politicians and bureaucrats. The swamp in Canada is, yes, a less lucrative one than in the US, but its still a stinking, putrid swamp.
Another mistake by Erin O’Toole. For someone who was a Navigator in the RCAF, his compass is obviously malfunctioning, for he seems to be wandering around disoriented. Meanwhile, he’s losing long term Conservative supporters. (Just wondering how many times his compass malfunctioned when he was in active service?)
So far I am of the opinion that Otoole couldn’t navigate an outdoor crapper.
Demote Pierre ? In my opinion Pierre Poilievre shoul be the Conservative party’s leader. He is hands down way better than Erin the’ Toole.
I agree completely with you Rick! Big mistake by Erin O’Toole in my opinion.
this guy is an idiot. It is precisely what he is doing to quash a leadership rival. Poilievre said he wouldn’t run for leadership cuz of his young family. I don’t buy that. I think "The Tool" had that stopped before it even started. There is no way that this dolt and his backers will ever defeat the Lieberals.
Erin A’Foole is determined to hand a majority to the Liberals.
If my understanding of what Trump has been doing and the status of USA as a republic, with the quantum financial system finally being fully realized and controlled by honest people, then putting fast into the finance critical role is going to be the weaker position. Pier will have the ability to keep an eye on what’s going on in the world as a representative of the Canadian government as well as
O’Toole Is a tool !
Is O’Toole a Liberal Party plant?
What the hell are you doing, Otoole? You better get ur shit together, you got to be a lot tougher on Trudeau, like Pollieve is. What a big mistake, demoting the strongest voice in your party? Are you turning liberal? Wake up Erin! You are losing support all over the country. Unless you want Trudeau to win again!
The Conservative party is a dumpster fire. I bought a membership, so I could vote for the next leader, but the boys in the back made sure OTool won. Time for a party split. Pierre Poilievre should lead this country never mind the party!
You just lost the next election O Toole. Two of your best people out. Sorry I sent money and voted for you
I would never vote for Otoole as i believe his now a puppet of trudeau. He is getting rid of the staunchest conservatives. What is going on? Is Michelle next?
Otoole what the hell are you doing.
Well what did we expect from a RED Tory. Tough working for a leader who does not support his troops.
Want to be a great leader? Surround yourself with great people
Surround yourself with strong people and you will excel. O’toole doesn’t understand that theory. The conservatives have lost our votes in the next election. Demoting Pierre was a stupid decision.
I was going to vote conservative to get rid of the Liberals, but after what O’Toole has done to Pierre Poilievre I won’t be voting for O’Toole. In fact I won’t vote Liberal so it looks like I won’t be voting at all. who in hell put O’Toole in anyway? He is as dumb as a key of nails. Looks like we will be putting up with Trudeau for another four years because O’Toole won’t be getting many votes. Really wish Pierre Poilievre would have run for the Conservatives as we would have won an election with him in. Very smart man and knows what he is talking about too. O’Toole doesn’t have a clue how to run a cat house, let alone a country.
What are you thinking O’Toole?
Great article that sums up my opinion on this issue. It seems that Mr. O’Toole cannot tolerate anyone in the party that is capable of doing a better job than he himself is finding it difficult to do. Vanity? Envy? Whatever it is, the federal Conservative Party is bleeding members because of his cussedness.
Big mistake, many more cpc members becoming disillusioned with this leader. I fear the Conservative party will be loosing members, if conservatives won’t vote for the party who will?
Own up to your mistake and switch Mr Poilievre back to where he belongs. He was one of the best for that position and if you are having difficulties fulfilling you position. perhaps he can help you out. It takes an honorable man to accept help when he feels he should have been able to handle things on his own Mr. O’Toole. We really need you all to work together and bring out the best in each other rather than worrying about individual status at this time. Work together, get this country back to where it should be. Land of the free and the brave. Stop letting our rights be taken away from us and keep our country as it was, do not let these socialist values we see trying to pop up defeat us. Open your eyes, the government as it stands now is taking away all the freedoms we fought for over the generations. Bring back Canada, before there is no Canada left to bring back!!
OTool should step down and let poilievre take over the leadership of the Conservative party so that country has a chance at defeating the liberals, with otool as the leader that will never happen. Get governing our country for the people not for your own pockets books
This is a sad day for Canadian People not sure why Otool is a rotter for the the party Pierre’s the Best Man
Erin O Toole won’t win a majority… Pierre Police would have the capability! Shudder to think what is going to happen when the next election comes.
Pierre 100% but you know this move only proves 1 thing this Sept. , vote for a tool or vote for a tool. Either way, a tool is getting in.