A true-blue Tory in the Conservatives’ big tent? In search of Erin O’Toole

A former corporate lawyer who portrays himself as an average Joe, the Conservative leader is running a campaign that is a study in ambiguity and vagueness, touching all the bases without actually committing to much of anything.

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole played both ends against the middle successfully during his victorious Conservative leadership race. But within hours after winning the contest last year, he committed to a centrist approach with the overarching goal of broadening the party’s appeal beyond its western-dominated base, something hard-core right-wingers are still wondering about, writes Les Whittington. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Opinion

BY LES WHITTINGTON

August 23, 2021

OTTAWA—Erin O’Toole has learned that it doesn’t matter what your convictions are as long as you say things people want to hear and deny it when you don’t. A former corporate lawyer who portrays himself as an average Joe, the Conservative leader is running a campaign that is a study in ambig...

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