Erin O'Toole | |
|---|---|
.jpg) O'Toole in 2021 | |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office August 24, 2020 – February 2, 2022 | |
| Monarch | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Deputy | Candice Bergen |
| Preceded by | Andrew Scheer |
| Succeeded by | Candice Bergen |
| Leader of the Conservative Party | |
| In office August 24, 2020 – February 2, 2022 | |
| Deputy | Candice Bergen |
| Preceded by | Andrew Scheer |
| Succeeded by | Candice Bergen (interim) |
| Minister of Veterans Affairs | |
| In office January 5, 2015 – November 4, 2015 | |
| Prime Minister | Stephen Harper |
| Preceded by | Julian Fantino |
| Succeeded by | Kent Hehr |
| Member of Parliament for Durham | |
| In office November 26, 2012 – August 1, 2023[1] | |
| Preceded by | Bev Oda |
| Succeeded by | Jamil Jivani |
| Shadow cabinet posts | |
| 2020–2021 | Shadow Minister for Middle Class Prosperity |
| 2017–2020 | Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Erin Michael O'Toole January 22, 1973 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Rebecca Grant (m. 2000) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| Alma mater | |
| Profession |
|
| Website | erinotoole |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Air Command |
| Years of service |
|
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron |
| Awards | Canadian Forces' Decoration Sikorsky Helicopter Rescue Award |
Erin Michael O'Toole PC CD (born January 22, 1973) is a former Canadian politician who served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Durham from 2012 to 2023. A member of the Conservative Party, O'Toole served as the party's leader and the leader of the Official Opposition from 2020 to 2022.
Born in Montreal, O'Toole grew up in Port Perry and Bowmanville in Ontario. He joined the Canadian Forces in 1991 and studied at the Royal Military College (RMC) until 1995. He was commissioned in Air Command,[note 1] serving as an air navigator, eventually attaining the rank of captain. Following his active service, he received a law degree, practicing law for nearly a decade until he was elected to the House of Commons in a 2012 by-election. In 2015, O'Toole briefly served as veterans affairs minister in the Harper government. In 2017, he ran for the party's leadership, finishing third to winner Andrew Scheer.
After Scheer resigned as leader in late 2019, O'Toole ran a successful leadership campaign, defeating former Progressive Conservative leader Peter MacKay in the 2020 leadership election. O'Toole's domestic policies included support for the elimination of the federal deficit, the simplification of federal taxes, a low carbon savings account, and pipeline construction. In foreign policy, he advocated for a CANZUK agreement and a hard-line approach to the Chinese government. Although he positioned himself as a "true blue" conservative during the leadership race, O'Toole began embracing a more centrist approach, and reversed his previous opposition towards the federal carbon tax and assault weapons ban.
O'Toole lost the 2021 federal election to the Liberal Party led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with the Conservatives winning the same number of seats as they held before the election. Although O'Toole pledged to remain as leader, his attempts to move the Conservative Party to the centre gained criticism from a considerable number of party MPs, who ousted him on February 2, 2022, through a leadership review.
- ^ "The Hon. Erin O'Toole, P.C., C.D., M.P." lop.parl.ca. Library of Parliament. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
MP (2012-11-26 - 2023-08-01)
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