As some question O’Toole’s leadership, Conservative MP urges unification of party around leader

An effort to review O'Toole's leadership before the scheduled date in 2023 has been started by a member of the party's national council, with a petition that has received around 2,300 signatures as on Thursday, according to CTV.

That petition has been dismissed by the party's president, who said "as an invalid way to trigger a referendum because a review is set to happen later, and the petition could have been signed by those outside the party," CTV wrote.

Alberta representative Garnett Genius called on Conservatives to "another round of internal conflict or public navel-gazing" after the unsuccessful campaign.

"We must learn the lessons of the election, share constructive feedback, and remain united behind Erin O'Toole," he tweeted Thursday.

MP Michelle Rempel Garner said she expects the campaign to be reviewed, and "expect our member's and caucus concerns to be thoroughly addressed."

"Given that we are in a significant crisis period in Canada, I take Erin O'Toole at his word that he will do this and I will contribute to that process."

Support also came from former leadership rival and newly elected Ontario MP Leslyn Lewis, who was welcomed to run after her performance during the Conservative Party's 2020 leadership race, according to CTV.

"I believe that the rush to apply judgment on our former leader Andrew Scheer, before we had a chance to complete our review of the 2019 campaign, and while emotions were still high, was unwise," Lewis wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.

"I believe that doing the same to Erin now would be equally unwise," Lewis continued.

"The Conservatives are projected to finish with 119 seats, two fewer than the party won during the 2019 federal election under Scheer," wrote CTV.

O'Toole said he is committed to staying in his position as leader, but expects a full review of his campaign.

"I expect a full review of our campaign, and I expect our member's and caucus concerns to be thoroughly addressed. Given that we are in a significant crisis period in Canada, I take Erin O'Toole at his word that he will do this and I will contribute to that process."

O'Toole took a big hit on his campaign when he said he would keep a Liberal ban on around 1,500 guns, despite promising to do the opposite.

"Town & Country News reported re-elected Alberta MP Chris Warkentin as saying he felt the party's electoral fortunes shifted toward the Liberals in the campaign when O'Toole began to "waffle" on some policies," wrote the CTV on another hit to the O'Toole campaign.