Mr O’Toole made the official announcement during a speech at the Chamber of Commerce in Clarington, near Oshawa, on Friday morning.
In a statement released by her office on Twitter shortly afterwards, Erin O’Toole commended the citizens of the Durham constituency for the unconditional support they have shown her since her election in 2012.
I’ve had the opportunity to advance issues that I believe are critical to our country — from veterans’ mental health to military preparedness, nuclear energy, sovereignty in the Arctic and a number of other important issues, Erin noted O’Toole in release.
I will continue to advance those interests and serve my constituents until the end of this session, he also pledged.
“I will leave public life satisfied, knowing that my efforts and ideas will reverberate for years to come. »
– A quote from Erin O’Toole, Conservative MP for Durham
A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada and a qualified barrister, Erin O’Toole became Conservative MP for Durham in November 2012, replacing retiring Minister Bev Oda.
Erin O’Toole was appointed Minister for Veterans Affairs in Stephen Harper’s government and became leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and leader of the official opposition in August 2020, winning the party’s leadership from Peter MacKay.
ousted from the party leadership
After losing the October 2021 federal election, the Conservatives, who had failed to win additional seats in the House of Commons against Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, began to doubt that Erin O’Toole would be the leader who would usher them into government.
Even the more conservative fringe of the party did not appreciate the ideological shift Erin O’Toole undertook by being more flexible in campaigning on issues such as climate change, abortion or the recognition of LGBTQ rights.
The Conservative leader will be finally overthrown in a parliamentary confidence vote on February 2, 2022, by the end of which he will have won the support of just 45 MPs, 73 of whom voted against him.
Despite the loss, Erin O’Toole remained MP for his constituency.