O'Toole should show 'leadership' and show unvaccinated Conservative MPs the door: Former PM Mulroney
Conservative Leader Erin O鈥橳oole should show leadership on mandatory vaccinations and show any of his unvaccinated MPs the door, says former prime minister and Conservative leader Brian Mulroney.
Mulroney said that if he was the leader today, he would require all of his MPs to roll up their sleeves and receive the COVID-19 vaccine, calling it a 鈥渘o-brainer.鈥
鈥淥f course. That's leadership,鈥 he said in an interview on CTV鈥檚 Question Period with host Evan Solomon.
鈥淲ho am I to argue with tens of thousands of brilliant scientists and doctors who urge the population desperately to get vaccinated? And we're going to have some members of my caucus, for example, who are going to say 鈥業'm not going to do it鈥? They have to do it.鈥
After a few weeks of conflicting messaging on the party鈥檚 position on the House of Commons鈥 new rules mandating vaccination, O鈥橳oole said on Wednesday that his caucus has agreed to 鈥渞espect and abide by鈥 the policy but at the 鈥渆arliest opportunity鈥 his party will be challenging it.
While O鈥橳oole has said that when the new session begins, only fully-vaccinated Conservatives or those with valid medical exemptions who have been recently rapid-tested will be taking part in the House proceedings in-person next month, he refuses to say how many of his caucus of 118 MPs are unvaccinated.
With the Liberals, New Democrats, and Bloc Quebecois all fully vaccinated and seemingly fully supportive of the Board of Internal Economy鈥檚 vaccine mandate, it remains to be seen how far the coming Conservative question of privilege to the Speaker will get.
鈥淢r. O'Toole has a difficult challenge because of some of the components of his caucus, and I respect that, and I respect what he's done to try and deal with it. But I've encountered situations like that when I was leader of the party, and prime minister. For example there were two members of Parliament who wouldn't support the GST, out they went. There were others who wouldn't support language issues, out they went,鈥 Mulroney said.
鈥淟ook, you're not the leader to follow, you are the leader to lead, and if you think this is in the national interest, Canada's interest, you get your members of Parliament in line, and they have to support what you're doing.鈥
Mulroney said that O鈥橳oole shouldn鈥檛 let members of his caucus defy his leadership, especially on this policy which he said is showing to be effective in bringing Canada closer to the end of the pandemic.
VACCINE POLICY MAY HAVE COST HIM ELECTION
Mulroney said that O鈥橳oole鈥檚 position on mandatory vaccinations may have also played a role in his defeat in the Sept. 20 federal election.
While during the campaign O鈥橳oole had Mulroney鈥檚 endorsement鈥攁ppearing alongside him at a campaign rally five days before the vote鈥攖he former prime minister says that the Conservative leader 鈥渓ost momentum鈥 as a result of their stance on vaccine mandates.
鈥淭hey were doing very well鈥 for the first couple of weeks, and then they lost momentum simply because 鈥 Mr. Trudeau quite brilliantly poked holes in the Conservative positions on exactly what you and I are talking about: Vaccines, and health care and the problems that were going on in Alberta at the time,鈥 Mulroney said.
In the final days of the federal campaign, Alberta rolled out new restrictions in the face of a then-worsening new wave of COVID-19 infections after lifting most public health precautions over the summer. O鈥橳oole was asked repeatedly to comment, specifically on whether he still thought Alberta Premier Jason Kenney handled the pandemic better than the prime minister, and he wouldn鈥檛 say.
鈥淭his played a major role in the subsequent defeat of the Conservative Party,鈥 Mulroney said.
DIRECTION OF CONSERVATIVE PARTY?
During the campaign, O鈥橳oole 鈥 on the same day he campaigned with Mulroney 鈥 framed the party he is leading as 鈥渘ot your dad's Conservative Party.鈥
Asked what he thinks the Conservative Party today stands for, and what it needs to become, Mulroney said that while it doesn鈥檛 need to be the Progressive Conservative party it was under him, it wouldn鈥檛 hurt.
鈥淎lthough, as I remember, Brian Mulroney did pretty well in two general elections as a Progressive Conservative, winning the largest victory in Canadian history. And with his second one, he was the first Conservative leader since Sir John A. Macdonald to win back-to-back majorities in 100 years,鈥 he said.
鈥淵ou have to be reasonable, and thoughtful and appeal to the broad middle class of Canada. For example on the environment, middle-class Canadians are doing fairly well. They don't need little tax cuts for hockey sticks and that kind of stuff to appeal to them,鈥 Mulroney said.
In the lead up to and during the campaign, O鈥橳oole pitched a "personal low carbon savings account鈥 that would rebate Canadians directly for what they paid on fuel, allowing them to use the funds for environmentally-friendly purchases.
鈥淭hey for example, in that case, in my judgment, need and require a policy to ensure that they are able to pass on to their children and grandchildren a pristine environment鈥 If you don't have a policy that reflects that urge in Canadians, that demand, that need on the environment, you're not going to win. And so the party has to adjust itself unless it wants to lose a couple more elections.鈥
Asked what his message is to the Conservatives who disagree with the need for a price on carbon, or refuse to acknowledge that climate change is real, Mulroney said: 鈥淕et with the program.鈥
鈥淢y message is it's inexorable, it's going to happen, so get with the program. You can't stop the tides of history from washing over you. And, this is a vital moment in Canadian history and indeed for the planet, and we should be there actively,鈥 he said.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government鈥檚 three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party鈥檚 popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn鈥檛 be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.
Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.
'We all got through it': Canadian family stuck in Cuba recalls ordeal amid massive blackout
Ellen Francis says she and her family were having a great time at one of Cuba's famously stunning beaches and exploring the popular tourist town of Varadero when the situation turned into something like a scary movie.
Cooldown expected across Canada before above-seasonal temperatures return
Canada is getting served a smorgasbord of weather this week. The West saw its first sign of winter, while the eastern half of Canada experienced summer-like temperatures on Tuesday.
Man charged after attempting to force his way into the House of Commons: police
On the tenth anniversary of the shooting on Parliament Hill, a man was arrested and charged with trespassing as he attempted to push past security guards into the House of Commons.
One dead in multistate E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald's Quarter Pounders, CDC says
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert Tuesday regarding an E. coli outbreak that it says is linked with McDonald鈥檚 Quarter Pounders.
Former Conservative leader says Trudeau 'should move on' amid efforts to oust him
Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'should move on,' as he faces growing inner-caucus turmoil.
Kevin Vickers says 'not a day that goes by' he doesn't think about Parliament Hill shooting
On the 10-year anniversary of the deadly Parliament Hill shooting, former sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers says there's 'not a day that goes by' where he doesn't think about it.
With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.
Local Spotlight
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.
A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥