Rob Morrison, Conservative MP for Kootenay-Columbia has officially thrown his support behind Erin O’Toole to become the next leader of the federal party.
Morrison made the announcement on Thursday as the Conservative Party leadership race has resumed, with mail-in ballots needing to be submitted before August 21, 2020.
Four candidates are running for the party’s leadership:
- Erin O’Toole – Conservative MP of Durham (Incumbent)
- Peter MacKay – Former Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, Former Federal Minister, and Former Conservative MP of Central Nova (2004-2015)
- Derek Sloan – Conservative MP of Hastings-Lennox and Addington (Incumbent)
- Leslyn Lewis – Lawyer and Conservative Candidate for Scarborough-Rouge Park (Incumbent)
“I waited and I wanted to have a look at all of the candidates and I’ve decided that for what I’ve seen, I fully support Erin O’Toole,” Morrison told MyEastKootenayNow.com. “I think he’s a good leader and we as a Conservative Party need someone who can step in right away.”
Morrison said his own father served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, which dictated his decision to pursue a career with RCMP before he was elected MP of Kootenay-Columbia. Given O’Toole’s history serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force as well, Morrison said they share a lot of similar views and opinions, while also having mutual respect for one another.
“He’s in 100% support of our energy sector, which is critical for Kootenay-Columbia and he’s right on track with me on the firearms and the banning of some of these guns that our constituents use every day for hunting and sport shooting. He’s right on board with that and I’m a strong advocate of both of those.”
Morrison and O’Toole both oppose the Liberal’s decision to blanket ban military-style firearms through an Order in Council.
All in all, Morrison believes O’Toole is the most equipped to lead the Conservatives to a successful outcome in the next federal election.
“To have someone sitting in the house, someone who has a seat in Ontario currently are two huge factors. The party knows that we need support in Ontario, we need to understand what the needs are of the individuals in Ontario,” said Morrison.
“Everybody’s different and I think Erin understands that the west, we’re different than the east, which is different than central Canada so we just need to look at everybody and try and help each person out with their needs and Erin is, in my opinion, the one who understands all across Canada.”