10 Apr 2021 / 08:59 H.
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA, April 1 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau s chief rival in an election expected within months has struggled to make himself known to voters amid the COVID-19 pandemic - and for Erin O Toole, time may be running out.
O Toole, a 48-year-old ex-soldier and one-time Cabinet minister, won the leadership of the right-leaning Conservatives last August and stresses the need for a fiscally prudent recovery plan. Trudeau s Liberals have poured hundreds of billions of dollars into aid programs, racking up record-high budget deficits and national debt levels.
If O Toole loses the next election, he could well be forced out, leaving the party looking for its fifth leader in six years and handing the free-spending Liberals and their environmentally minded build back better agenda a long-term advantage.
5 Min Read
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chief rival in an election expected within months has struggled to make himself known to voters amid the COVID-19 pandemic - and for Erin O’Toole, time may be running out.
FILE PHOTO: Canada s Conservative Party leader Erin O Toole gestures as he speaks in Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada November 19, 2020. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo
O’Toole, a 48-year-old ex-soldier and one-time Cabinet minister, won the leadership of the right-leaning Conservatives last August and stresses the need for a fiscally prudent recovery plan. Trudeau’s Liberals have poured hundreds of billions of dollars into aid programs, racking up record-high budget deficits and national debt levels.
Erin who? Main rival to Canada s Trudeau struggling to win voters attention as election looms swissinfo.ch - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from swissinfo.ch Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Article content
But Sharpe said the suggestion did not receive a warm reception from the party. “I got the sense they didn’t want it to happen,” he said.
“It struck a bad tone with a lot of people. Nobody in Central Nova would have a better shot than Peter. I’d say it knocked a lot of wind out of the sails of a lot of people.”
Central Nova is still without a candidate to take on incumbent Liberal MP, Sean Fraser.
“It’s stupid. Peter can get you seats in the East,” said one former senior party executive.
Article content
But Sharpe said the suggestion did not receive a warm reception from the party. “I got the sense they didn’t want it to happen,” he said.
“It struck a bad tone with a lot of people. Nobody in Central Nova would have a better shot than Peter. I’d say it knocked a lot of wind out of the sails of a lot of people.”
Central Nova is still without a candidate to take on incumbent Liberal MP, Sean Fraser.
“It’s stupid. Peter can get you seats in the East,” said one former senior party executive.