Erin O’Toole is out as leader of the Conservative Party.
This came as a bit of a surprise, if only because I wasn’t aware they were even having a vote to remove him. In the event, 73 out of 118 MPs voted for his ouster, which is pretty emphatic.
O’Toole was not an inspiring leader, though the Conservatives did win the popular vote in the 2021 federal election (as they did in 2019). Apparently the main complaint against him was that he was too much of a centrist on issues like abortion, a carbon tax, balancing the budget, and firearms. In the way they speak of these things, this made him more of a Red than a Blue Tory.
What his removal seems to signal is a tilting of the Conservatives toward right-wing populism. Personally, I think there is some sense in dumping O’Toole if only for his lack of charisma and inability to be the party’s standard-bearer. But I don’t see how running further to the right, even if only on culture-war issues, is going to help the Tories. And if the switch was driven by an unhappiness among the grass-roots about mask mandates and cancel culture, we may be entering into a period of deeply unserious politics. This is too bad, because I think Justin Trudeau has shown himself to be a corrupt and ineffective prime minister. The country can do better, but I’m afraid better is not going to be a choice moving forward.
Alex Good 
I’ve just been reading about the 18 wheels of freedom convoy going on across Canada, and the suppression of news of it by Trudeau and his lot. He’s not doing well.
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I didn’t know the news of it had been suppressed so much as the different sides are each trying to spin it their own way. It’s a story they’re trying to get on top of. It may have hurt O’Toole more as he was seen as not endorsing it strongly enough. But a lot of people also don’t like the convoy.
I’m afraid the Cons mainly want someone with a livelier Twitter account. I think Pierre Poilievre may be the front-runner. Have to see how that works out. He’s certainly into the whole keyboard warrior thing.
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this is what I read. https://thetrefoilmuse.blog/2022/02/01/eighteen-wheels-of-freedom/
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That’s definitely one take, and it makes some valid points. I’m never sure anymore what people mean by the mainstream media though. What does that mean today? Anything not on the Internet?
It will be interesting to see how the convoy story plays out. I actually don’t think it has as much support as it seems. The only people I know who work as truckers aren’t fans of Trudeau by a longshot but they despise the convoy. It makes for a great rallying point though.
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