Conservative leader Erin O’Toole says he’s confident his party will maintain broad support across Alberta — and even turn the only non-Conservative riding in the province blue — if an election is called in short order.
“I think we’ll not only hold our seats… but we’re going to go after the last one because I can’t see anyone living in this province that hasn’t seen the attack on Alberta’s prosperity and its way of life that has been conducted by (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau from his first minutes in office,” O’Toole said Thursday in Calgary.
The only federal riding in Alberta that didn’t go Conservative during the 2019 election was Edmonton-Strathcona in the province’s capital. That seat is held by NDP MP Heather McPherson.
O’Toole positioned himself as a “true partner” for Alberta during a Calgary press conference.
He said a Conservative-led country would restore fairness to Albertans who have paid more than their “fair share” to Canada. Instead of “bullying and lecturing” from the federal government, O’Toole pledged Conservatives would listen to Albertans and protect their autonomy.
His visit to Calgary signals a return to where it all started. The Ontario MP kicked off his bid to win the leadership of the federal party in the city in January 2020 prior to the arrival of COVID-19.
Since then, O’Toole has spent much of his time as leader speaking to business groups and holding town halls through screens.
That has no doubt posed a challenge when it comes to getting more Canadians to know who he is, which has become increasingly important as speculation swirls that Trudeau is preparing to call an election this summer or fall.
Recent polls suggest the Liberals maintain a lead over the Conservatives, and at this point, are likely to stay in government if a vote were to be held.
Chelsea Tucker, O’Toole’s director of communications, said the Liberals are trying to force a “risky election” while Canadians worry about their personal finances.
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“I think Canadians, including here in Alberta, want to see the country move forward again, want to see an economic recovery including in our energy sector,” said O’Toole.
“They want to see unity in this country again and they are not going to get it from a prime minister who has divided this country.”
During his tour, O’Toole is to attend the Calgary Stampede — where politicians, including Alberta’s premier, traditionally don their best western getup to serve pancakes — and then head to British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
O’Toole is also to appear at a Friday evening event with Calgary Centre MP Greg McLean, along with supporters and volunteers, to get energized for a possible election. The Conservatives won back the riding from the Liberals in 2019 after former MP Kent Hehr eked out a victory for the Grits in 2015.
On Sunday, the party will host a $500-per-ticket “meet and greet” fundraiser with O’Toole.
His stop in Calgary follows a Wednesday appearance by Trudeau, who announced money for transit and took repeated questions about whether his tour showed he was in the mood for an election. He told a RED FM radio host: “It doesn’t.”
O’Toole made his own campaign-style pledge in a video posted Thursday where he promised that, if elected, a Conservative government would provide funding for a Surrey Langley SkyTrain expansion in B.C.
During his visit to Calgary, Trudeau also met with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, a key ally for O’Toole during his leadership race.
A spokesperson for Kenney did not respond when asked Tuesday about a meeting with O’Toole.
O’Toole’s visit to the Conservative heartland comes after having introduced a carbon price on fuel — a policy Tory MPs spent years fighting.
He argues the Conservative climate plan is better for jobs than Trudeau’s, but many Western supporters still viewed the move as a betrayal to his pledge to axe the policy.
Broadening the Conservative base has been a priority for O’Toole, who said that’s why he modernized the party’s climate policy and has been clear that he stands up for abortion and LGBTQ rights, which many believe hurt the party’s chances in the 2019 election.
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