MacKenzie Shares His Thoughts on O'Toole's Departure as Conservative Leader

Wednesday, 2 February 2022 15:47

MacKenzie wouldn't tip his cap on which way he voted but did say that today is not a good day for the Conservative party.

WOODSTOCK - Erin O'Toole is out as the Conservative Leader.

He lost a leadership review vote 73-45 this afternoon. The party will elect an interim leader tonight and it will be a couple of months before a new leader is selected.

Local MP Dave MacKenzie is not going to tip his cap on which way he voted today.

"It is a secret ballot and I am not going disclose that, as no one else is going to disclose that but having said that, I don't think it is a good day, it is never a good day when you turf a leader in mid stream. We should be working together to form the next Government."

MacKenzie has heard all the rumours on the next possible leader for the Conservatives. He says it is too early to start speculating.

"I think there is a lot of guessing out there, but people have to understand the process and the process is that we have to have an interim leader and an interim leader cannot run for leader, we had this a few years ago with Rona Ambrose, she was the interim leader when Stephen Harper and she would have made a fantastic leader."

Some names floating around include Patrick Brown, Doug Ford and Pierre Poillievre, however nobody has actually come forward saying they want the job just yet.

MacKenzie says part of the issue for O'Toole was he was a relative unknown when he won the seat.

"We were in the middle of a pandemic, he couldn't get out, get rallies and if you didn't already know him going in, it was going to be hard for him to get his name out there. I would be less than honest if I said supported Erin for the leadership, I didn't but when he was chosen leader it was up to me to support him at that point and I certainly did. I supported Peter Mackay, Peter might get back in the race, I really don't know."

MacKenzie also touched on the protests in Ottawa saying he understands why Canadians are angry and frustrated right now, but it is time for the protestors to go home, so the people in Ottawa can go back to their lives. We will have more on that in the news tomorrow morning.