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Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole defends decision to back, then oust, Sloan

O'Toole defends decisions

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole says he was once willing to give his former leadership rival Derek Sloan the benefit of the doubt, but no longer.

And he dismissed the idea that kicking Sloan out of caucus this week has pitted him against one of the party's most powerful wings, social conservatives, whose support O'Toole courted directly during the leadership race last year in part by backing Sloan at the time.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, O'Toole said he didn't believe Sloan meant to be racist last year in his characterization of chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam.

That's why he opposed efforts then to kick him out of caucus, O'Toole said.

"I always will give a colleague, or anyone in Parliament, in public life, the benefit of the doubt or, you know, listen to them the first time," O'Toole said.

"And that was the case early on with Derek, when he said he did not mean to malign the intentions of Dr. Tam."

But O'Toole said a "pattern developed" since then, and frustrations mounted that Sloan's extreme views posed an ever-present danger to the party's goal of forming government.

It all appeared to come to a head last week.

In the aftermath of riots in the U.S. led by extreme right wing supporters of now-former U.S. president Donald Trump.

O'Toole faced pressure from caucus, conservative supporters and his rivals to firmly disavow any elements of extremism in his party's ranks.

Last Sunday, O'Toole issued a statement doing just that. The next day, media organization PressProgress reported O'Toole's outrage over Sloan's leadership campaign accepting a donation from a known white nationalist.

While O'Toole moved swiftly to start the process of kicking Sloan out — getting 20 per cent of MPs on side as required by law — he insisted the demand was driven by caucus, as evidenced in the majority vote to remove him.

"The caucus was ready to make that decision and send a strong message that we are a welcoming party, we respect one another, and we respect Canadians," he said.

O'Toole disputed accusations from Sloan and anti-abortion groups that the decision to kick him out had nothing to do with the Ontario MP's previous statements.

In recent weeks, Sloan has been pushing to get as many socially conservative delegates as possible registered for the party's policy convention in March.

Sloan, as well as the Campaign Life Coalition and RightNow, want enough delegates in their camp so motions they support will pass, including one that would remove the existing policy stating a Conservative government would never regulate abortion.

They also want to elect a slate of directors to the party's national council to entrench their strength.

Sloan said the decision to kick him out was a kneejerk reaction to what happened in the U.S.

But he also contends the move was driven by anger from his fellow MP's unhappy to se him actively courting money and support in their ridings. He's pledged to name them so social conservatives know who is trying to silence their voices, he said.

"They think they are little petty princes ruling these fiefdoms and no one else can have a say," Sloan said.

O'Toole rejected the idea that Sloan's efforts amount to an attempt to take over the party, and O'Toole's own move was a bid to stop it.

"There is no such effort to the extent that Mr. Sloan is suggesting," he said.

Sloan had little national profile when he entered the Conservative leadership race just a few months after becoming an MP.

But early on, he garnered attention for suggesting he wasn't certain of the scientific basis for a person being LGBTQ.

From there, he quickly became well known for his often extreme social conservative views. His comments about Tam, in which he suggested her loyalty lay with China rather than Canada, sparked outrage and took criticism against him to the next level.



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