While on her way to the Conservative caucus, Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs stopped to speak with reporters and shared some choice words regarding Erin O’Toole’s leadership.
Don't mind the reporter who spazzed out at me for not wearing a mask – @ShannonStubbsMP had an important point to make. She's the only MP that came to caucus today with a seriously critical tone towards O'Toole's Liberal Lite approach. pic.twitter.com/hGnZeQa5DE
— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) October 5, 2021
“I believe there needs to be an accounting on how it is we’re going to maintain Conservative voters — maintain confidence among Conservative voters — and also account for the serious losses that we took in the GTA,” said Stubbs.
Winning the Greater Toronto Area was supposed to be O’Toole’s reward for moving the Conservative Party on a leftward trajectory.
“The reality is that today after the 2021 election, Conservatives are more rural, more homogeneous than we’ve ever been before. We lost great, strong, necessary colleagues in big cities in every part of this country, and there needs to be an accounting for that.”
Stubbs also criticized O’Toole’s catchphrase ‘having the courage to change.’
While questions were being asked – an unknown reporter who was accredited by the Parliamentary Press Gallery accosted Keean Bexte for not wearing a mask – causing Stubbs to interject saying “I think he’s fine.”
After the scrum – the triggered reporter assaulted Bexte and stole his recording equipment while his colleagues cheered him on. If you can identify this Ottawa journalist, please reach out to contact@thecountersignal.com
I need help in identifying this reporter (with Global, I think?). While I was interviewing CPC MPs – he quickly became triggered that I was asking unapproved questions while being unmasked (outside). The footage cuts out after he steals and breaks the gimbal on the camera. pic.twitter.com/tcNV6V0t63
— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) October 5, 2021
While reporting live from the caucus meeting, TCS reporter Keean Bexte had the opportunity to speak with Stubbs regarding losses in Alberta.
“Every MP that came here today has said how happy they are that [Conservatives] gained votes in St. John’s, and they gained votes in Ontario. But that came at the expense of 400,000 Conservative voters staying home in Alberta,” Bexte began.
“Do you attribute that more to the leader or to the policy the leader took?”
“I don’t think Conservative members should accept losing anywhere,” Stubbs replied. “So I am certainly glad that I did a lot of work out in those regions over the time that I’ve been elected. And I’m certainly glad that we have those new colleagues.”
“But, yes,” continued Stubbs, “exactly to your point, we lost. We lost seats in the GTA; we lost seats in the Metro Vancouver area; we lost seats in [Calgary and Edmonton] in Alberta.”
“This shouldn’t have to be an ‘either or’ proposition.”
Stubbs also criticized O’Toole’s catchphrase ‘having the courage to change.’
“There’s some conversation going on about the ‘courage to change.” That’s one of the things I’ll be looking to hear more from the leader about. He said that on election night — I don’t quite know what that means,” said Stubbs.
“So, I would say we better hear about that today — or real soon — because if now what we’re talking about is changes of our policies, our values, our principles, then for me, that means it’s even more important for the members to be able to have a direct say.”
Here, Stubbs makes a good point, as O’Toole rarely shows any ‘courage to change.’
Far from being flexible or nuanced, throughout his campaign, O’Toole showed that he was only too willing to remove party members who dissent against his pro-mandate, Left-wing agenda and policies (i.e. Red Toryism).
Stubbs also says that she has yet to speak with O’Toole or his team since the election, while O’Toole contends that he has spoken with most.
The caucus meeting today is being held so that MPs can cast their Reform Act votes.
As part of the Reform Act, which was introduced in 2014, MPs will hold four votes to decide caucus and party management. These votes will be on the following:
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Whether membership in the caucus should be controlled through votes by caucus members themselves;
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Whether caucus members should choose who serves as caucus chair;
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Whether caucus members should have the right to trigger a review of the party leader; and
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Whether caucus members should have the right to choose the interim party leader, should the position become vacant
The third vote is, perhaps, the most consequential, as it gives MPs the ability to force a leadership review which could lead to the ousting of the Party Leader.
It should also be noted that while Stubbs seems thoroughly dissatisfied with O’Toole’s leadership, the other MPs appear less willing to oppose O’Toole.
Moreover, O’Toole believes that he has retained his MPs’ trust and confidence. Thus, he likely expects today to be relatively uneventful insofar as his job is concerned.
