'Stark differences': how Derek Sloan's words could test Erin O'Toole's leadership skills - 2020-08-25
'Stark differences': how Derek Sloan's words could test Erin O'Toole's leadership skills August 25, 2020,
The Liberals were at least gracious enough to give Erin O'Toole a full 24 hours before openly trying to cause him trouble. But on Tuesday morning, shortly before O'Toole's first official news conference as leader of the Official Opposition, the Liberals tossed out their first challenge: the new Conservative leader, they said, should move forthwith to remove inflammatory backbencher Derek Sloan from the Conservative caucus.
"Mr. O'Toole has an important decision to make, which will help Canadians understand his vision for the future of our country," Liberal MP Pam Damoff said in a written statement laying out just some of the things Sloan said while pursuing his own campaign for the Conservative leadership.
Derek Sloan's status as a Conservative MP is not quite the most pressing issue facing the nation at this moment and the politics of it are not subtle. But it's a rite of passage for Conservative leaders to be faced with this sort of thing — so Sloan becomes the first test of O'Toole's ability to both lead his party and explain himself.
