Ottawa, ON — Today, the Conservative Caucus voted to remove Derek Sloan. The Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and the Official Opposition, released the following statement:

“I want all Canadians to feel welcome in the Conservative Party of Canada. 

“The focus of Canada’s Conservatives is getting as many people back to work, in every part of Canada, in every sector, as quickly as possible.

“The Conservative Caucus voted to remove Derek Sloan not because of one specific event, but because of a pattern of destructive behaviour involving multiple incidents and disrespect towards the Conservative team for over a year. These actions have been a consistent distraction from our efforts to grow the Party and focus on the work we need to do. Events of the past week were simply the last straw and led to our caucus making the decision it did today.

“I did not vote to remove Derek Sloan from our caucus because he is a social conservative. We have Members of Parliament of deep compassion and unmatched character, who like many Canadians, draw strength from their faith. The Conservative Party is a big tent that is reflective of all Canadians. People of all backgrounds have a place in our Party.

“As politicians in Canada, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards. Canadians deserve nothing less.

“We are ready to do whatever it takes to get Canada working again. In the next election, Canadians will ask themselves, ‘who do I trust to create jobs and get the economy back on track?’ 

“Our Party is working hard to earn the trust of Canadians. Canada’s Conservatives got us out of the last recession – and I know we can lead Canada out of this one too.

“Let’s get back to work.”

WINNIPEG, MB – Raquel Dancho, Conservative Shadow Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today issued the following statement regarding the news that Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s family received a special exemption to visit her in Canada while awaiting her extradition hearing:

“The Liberals rolled out the red carpet and granted a special travel exemption for the Huawei CFO’s family to reunite in time for the holidays. This is an insult to the millions of Canadians who were told by this government not to visit loved ones.

“The Liberal government broke their promise to Canadians and their families abroad who have been separated for nearly a year and unable to reunite because of the slow, uncompassionate family reunification process they put in place.

“The families of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig marked their second holiday season apart.

“Meanwhile, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been denied basic human rights and detained in communist Chinese prisons for over two years, with limited access to their families and consular support.

“It is disappointing to see Justin Trudeau and his government continue their dangerous and naïve approach to Communist China. Canada and Canadians deserve better.”

Ottawa, ON – Dan Albas, Conservative Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change, released the following statement regarding Justin Trudeau’s plan to triple the Carbon Tax:

“Fighting climate change at home and around the world is an important goal that takes work. Canadians agree on the importance of protecting our environment and natural spaces, and it is an issue that our Party and Leader are passionate about.

“It’s shameful that the Liberals failed to properly consult provinces on their plan raise the Carbon Tax. The environment is an area of shared jurisdiction and Canada’s Conservatives will respect the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories by scrapping Trudeau’s Carbon Tax. If provinces want to use market mechanisms, other forms of carbon pricing, or regulatory measures, that is up to them.

“This week, Conservatives put forward a motion to stop the Liberals from raising taxes during the pandemic. Not only did the Liberals vote against our motion, but they are now raising the Carbon Tax even higher. This increase will mean that Canadians will pay more for groceries, home heating, and add up to 37.57 cents per litre to the cost of gas.

“The Trudeau Liberals promised that they wouldn’t raise the Carbon Tax, but that is exactly what they are doing today. This is just another example of the Trudeau Liberals promising one thing to get elected, and then breaking their promise when they no longer need your vote.

“Conservatives know that we must preserve our shared environment for future generations without sacrificing the jobs Canadians need today or damaging the economic engine that helps fund our vital social programs.”

OTTAWA, ON – The Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and the Official Opposition, today released the following statement in response to the Trudeau government’s Fall Economic Statement:
 
“Without a plan for vaccines, there can be no plan for the economy.
 
“Canadians have only asked one thing of this government: what is the plan? This Fall Economic Statement answers that question – there is no plan.
 
“I am really glad the Liberals took my proposal from my leadership platform this spring on support for parents by boosting the Canada Child Benefit. I’m glad because this was a concrete proposal to help families, and especially moms, who need it the most. But we know Canadians need more.
 
“The truth is the Liberals’ economic response has been erratic and confused. Millions more Canadians were put on the CERB than necessary when their jobs could have been maintained if the Liberals had implemented a wage subsidy earlier.
 
“The Canadian economy was already showing serious signs of weakness before the pandemic hit. Ignoring our warnings, the Liberals took pride in running large structural deficits and raising taxes in good economic times. Now, Justin Trudeau is running a historic deficit of almost $400 billion – and still leaving millions of Canadians behind.
 
“My experience in the military and in business demands of us to learn from our failures.  We must provide stability and certainty to those who rely on us. While the Prime Minister prefers to compare himself to the worst student in the class, I want to strive for Canada to be the best.
 
“While Americans are talking about mass vaccination throughout January, our government is talking about getting Canadians vaccinated for September. The Minister of Health talks a great deal about caring for Canadians, but there is only way to describe how we got in this situation: incompetence.
 
“We need to get this country working again. With a government that will put the prosperity of all Canadians ahead of the special interests of a select few, Canada will emerge from COVID-19 stronger, richer, and more determined than ever before.
 
“Canadians deserve certainty, clarity, and competence from their government. Canadians deserve a real plan for the challenges we face today, so that our children will have opportunities tomorrow.”

OTTAWA, ON – The Hon. Erin O'Toole, Leader of Canada's Conservatives and of the Official Opposition, today released the following statement recognizing the sacrifice of all who served and those who continue to serve Canada:

"This year, Remembrance Day may look a little different from what we're used to. COVID-19 has majorly impacted our country, but our ability and our commitment to remember the service and sacrifice of our fellow Canadians remain strong.

"Reflection, remembrance, and respect – these are not actions that can only happen during parades or at cenotaphs. They are emotional acts we will uphold during a year when Canadians have dedicated themselves to adapting and persevering through these challenging times.

"It is our duty and privilege to remember and honour the fallen sons and daughters of Canada.

"For those in the military, these are the friends that you trust your life with, the comrades you laugh loudest with, and the brothers and sisters you love and hope desperately to safely return home with.

"I know there are Veterans across Canada who have made it home with invisible wounds of service – know you are not alone. To the families missing someone around the table – know their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

"Today, my family and I are grateful as we commemorate the brave women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces who fought for our freedom and our great nation.

"Lest we forget their sacrifice."

Ottawa, ON – Pat Kelly, Conservative Shadow Minister for Small Business and Western Economic Development, and Philip Lawrence, Shadow Minister for National Revenue, released the following statement regarding the passage of the Conservative motion to support small and medium sized businesses:
 
“Today, with the passage of our motion in the House of Commons, Conservatives have secured more help for small and medium sized businesses harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of our efforts, the Trudeau Liberals must pause their punishing audits on small and medium sized businesses until June 2021 and provide additional flexibility in the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, and other programs to support entrepreneurs and workers.
 
“This builds on our Conservative track record of standing up for small and medium sized businesses and making the government’s emergency programs better for Canadians. This includes increasing the wage subsidy from 10 to 75 per cent, advocating for changes to the Liberals’ failed rent subsidy program, and now, postponing the Liberal audits on small and medium sized businesses.
 
“It’s shameful that the Trudeau Liberals failed to support this motion and voted for punitive audits on small and medium sized businesses during the second wave of the pandemic. These community businesses are fighting to keep their doors open, and Justin Trudeau wants to make it harder by sending the tax collector after them. While Justin Trudeau and the Liberals think small businesses are tax cheats – Conservatives know they are the backbone of our economy.
 
“Conservatives understand that there is no Canadian economy without our small and medium sized businesses. It’s as simple as that. Under the leadership of Erin O’Toole, we will continue to stand up for workers and entrepreneurs across Canada and ensure they get the support they need to weather this pandemic.”

Ottawa, ON – The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and of the Official Opposition, today issued the following statement on the Conservative Opposition Day motion calling for better supports for small and medium sized businesses:

“There is no Canadian economy without our small and medium sized businesses. It’s as simple as that. For Conservatives, these businesses are our country’s backbone, the local shops that keep communities together.

“In bringing forward today’s motion, our Conservative team sends a strong message on behalf of Canadians.

“The government should be postponing audits of these businesses until at least June 2021. Small business owners and their staff deserve better than this.

“We also ask for additional flexibility in the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, and other support programs. While the government made it easy for everyone, including some wealthy individuals, to apply for the CERB, they keep adding red tape for small businesses.

“The rent relief program was far too restrictive and only allowed large landlords to apply for relief, rather than tenants. It required businesses to have lost 70 percent of their revenues in order to be eligible, but if your revenues fell by 69 percent, you got nothing.

“Today there are tens of thousands of businesses in Canada that aren’t getting the help they need – at a time when Canada already has the highest unemployment in the G7.

“And if they shut down, all of Canada suffers. That’s because small businesses provide employment for millions of Canadians from coast to coast.

“They help moms and dads work hard and provide for their families; they offer the first job out of school; like Rom Sandhu of Sandhu Computers in Edmonton, they are often set up and operated by new Canadians; and, they stayed open when so many Canadians worked from home.

“Justin Trudeau likes to pit Canadian workers against small businesses. I’m here to tell him Canadian workers want small businesses to stay open.

“Because whether he likes it or not, Canadians don’t want two more years of the CERB – they want to get back to work.”


The Conservative Opposition Day motion is:

That, given that the pandemic has had devastating consequences on Canadian workers and businesses, especially in the restaurant, hospitality and tourism sectors, the House call on the government to: (a) immediately pause the audits of small businesses that received the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy until at least June 2021; and (b) provide additional flexibility in the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, and other support program.

The motion can also be found here.

The Conservative Party of Canada has released its quarterly fundraising report, and it’s a record breaking quarter with $5.6 million raised from nearly 40,000 Canadians. This fundraising quarter is Erin O’Toole’s first as Conservative Party leader, and is the best Q3 the Conservative Party has had in its history outside of an election year.

“Our team knows the difficulty Canadians are facing as a result of the economic slowdown from COVID-19 measures, and that makes these fundraising results that much more important to me,” said Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives. “Canadians are depending on us to continue to stand up for them and their family, and ensure those left behind by the Liberals have someone in their corner. They’re trusting us, not just with their vote, as we saw in the recent by-election in the Liberal stronghold of York Centre, but they’re also making a financial commitment to ensure we have the competitive edge to take on the Liberals in the next election, and give the country the ethical, serious, and intelligent leadership it deserves from their government.”

The final results for the Conservative Party in Q3 was $5,659,092 raised from 39,451 Canadians. The next best Q3 was in 2018 when the Party raised $4,855,184 from 36,655 Canadians. Comparatively, the best non-election year Q3 from the Liberals was in 2018 when they raised $3,761,601 from 33,070 donors.

“This is a big step towards defeating the Liberals, and this has been a strong showing from Erin O’Toole and our team this week,” said Scott Lamb, President of the Conservative Party. “With impressive results in the by-election in York Centre, and now a record breaking fundraising quarter for his first quarter as leader of our party, Erin O’Toole is showing exactly the type of leader Conservatives voted for, and the type of leader Canadians are now getting to see firsthand. Someone that’s focused on the priorities of regular Canadians, not just the well-connected Liberal insiders like we’ve seen from the Trudeau government.”

The full fundraising report can be found online at elections.ca. The next fundraising report will be for Q4, scheduled for release at the end of January 2021.

OTTAWA, ON – The Hon. Michelle Rempel Garner, Shadow Minister for Health, and Pierre Paul-Hus, Shadow Minister for Public Services and Procurement, issued the following statement regarding the Trudeau government’s continued delay in approving new COVID-19 testing options in Canada:
 
“Scientists around the world have always said that easily accessible testing is the key to combating the spread of COVID-19 while helping people live normal lives. Conservatives have been calling for rapid and easily accessible tests since March. However, Justin Trudeau and his Health Minister have repeatedly failed to fight for access to these vital tools for Canadians.
 
“Justin Trudeau’s Health Minister said today that there are no antigen at-home tests in the Canadian review process. This is ridiculous. She should be out actively looking for these types of technologies and proactively getting them into the review process. At a time when every country in the world is proactively trying to acquire and develop these technologies to protect their people, Justin Trudeau’s cabinet is content to say “we’re letting them come to us”.
 
“Also, our allies are winning in this race for supplies. Months ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved similar tests that Justin Trudeau only now is getting around to looking at, after weeks of intense political pressure and parts of the country once again on lockdown.
 
“Today, we still have no clarity on when these types of tests will be widely available to Canadians. We have no delivery or distribution date, even though the tests are in use in other parts of the world. The same rapid point-of-care test that Health Canada is now looking at has been being used by our G7 allies for months. And yet, it still is not approved in Canada. Why has it taken our country so long to get this done? How many schools have had to close because we didn’t have this capability? How many hours were lost as working parents had to stand in line for a test?
 
“The Trudeau government’s complete inaction on testing is unacceptable. We know that testing is a key tool to get our country back to work and fight this pandemic. As Canadians face more lockdowns, Canada’s Conservatives will continue to stand up for Canadians and continue to force the Trudeau Liberals to act. We are getting results, as we saw today. There is much more to be done and we will deliver.”

Ottawa, ON – The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and of the Official Opposition, today issued the following statement on the Conservative Opposition Day motion regarding the release of pandemic documents:

“It’s been seven months since the start of the pandemic. And what was the Liberal response? Masks, gloves and gowns from the government’s own reserves sent to China, while health care professionals and first responders here at home were being asked to ration.
 
“And now, we are falling behind our allies in securing future COVID-19 vaccines and in approving rapid tests.  
 
“The Liberal’s response to COVID-19 needs to be reviewed. Canadians deserve a government that will have their backs. A government that will develop our local medical equipment production chain without the worry of Liberal insiders getting rich off taxpayers.
 
“The Liberals have repeatedly attempted to shut down studies of the pandemic response. My colleagues in the Health Committee have been facing obstruction, delays, and manipulation in the midst of a pandemic.
 
“To all Canadians waiting for ventilators to arrive, to all Canadians hoping we’ll get rapid testing, and to all Canadians having lost a loved one to the virus, you deserve answers.
 
“This motion will instruct the Standing Committee on Health to undertake a study focused on:

• Rapid and at home testing approvals and procurement processes to reduce our waiting lines,
• Vaccine development and protocol for its distribution,
• A review of federal public health guidelines and data being used to inform government decisions,
• A review of long-term care facility COVID-19 protocols under federal jurisdiction,
• The availability of PPE in Canada and a review of Canada’s emergency PPE stockpile from 2015 to today.
• The impact of this government’s use of WHO advice to delay closing borders and delay recommending the wearing of masks
• And, importantly, the reasons why and the eventual impact of closing Canada’s early warning system, the GPHIN.

“In bringing this motion forward, we want to offer the government a chance to work with us, better its approach, and act with transparency.
 
“Canadians deserve a government that learns lessons from mistakes and successes so we can prepare better for the future. That is what this motion will accomplish.”
 
The Conservative Opposition Day motion can be found here.