What people are searching for about Conservative leader Erin O'Toole
Erin O'Toole has been officially selected as the new Conservative party leader, and plenty of people are now understandably digging for information about him. What does O'Toole's slogan, "Take Back Canada," actually mean? What qualifications does he have for the job?
Here's what you need to know based on what people are currently turning to Google to search for.
Where was Erin O'Toole born?
Erin O'Toole was born in Montreal in 1973, but he was raised in Bowmanville and Port Perry, Ontario as the oldest of five children, per his official website.
What is Erin O'Toole's history?
In 1991, O'Toole became an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), eventually becoming an air navigator and captain who served for 12 years.
After serving, O'Toole switched his focus to law, graduating from Dalhousie University in Halifax. He spent five years as in-house counsel to a large consumer products company in Ontario.
It wasn't until 2012 that O'Toole entered politics, becoming an MP for Durham, Ontario. In the Conservative government, he served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade before his appointment to cabinet as Canada's Minister of Veterans Affairs.
What are Erin O'Toole's policies?
O'Toole is vowing to ease tensions in Western Canada, immediately speaking with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about western alienation (or, as it's colloquially known, #wexit).
He's also pledging to build a more inclusive country under his "Take Back Canada" platform.
"I believe that whether you are Black, white, brown or from any race or creed, whether you are LGBT or straight, whether you are an Indigenous Canadian or have joined the Canadian family three weeks ago or three generations ago...you are an important part of Canada and you have a home in the Conservative Party of Canada," he said in a Tuesday press conference.
O'Toole has been one of the strongest critics against the Liberal government's WE Charity debacle, calling it Trudeau's "worst corruption scandal" in a Tweet.
When it comes to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), O'Toole isn't a supporter; he's vowed to "wind down" most emergency benefit programs, citing the $343-billion federal deficit, per CTV News.
He says that he would consider extending Employment Insurance, and he plans to expand the Canada Child Benefit.
Historically, O'Toole has been against assisted suicide, supported defunding the CBC and supported ownership of legal firearms.
It’s time to grow our team. Are you with me? 👍 pic.twitter.com/CAv5gPqLLb
— Erin O'Toole (@ErinOTooleMP) August 24, 2020
What was Erin O'Toole's acceptance speech like?
O'Toole called it an "honour" to become the next Conservative party leader during his acceptance speech on Monday.
He thanked Leslyn Lewis, Derek Sloan, Peter MacKay, Andrew Scheer and his wife Jill, and his own family for supporting him.
"Most of all, thank you to the tens of thousands of Canadians from coast to coast to coast who voted for me," he said.
"You put your faith in me to lead this historic party and I am honoured and humbled. I promise you, I will not let you down."
Is Erin O'Toole a social conservative?
O'Toole says that he's a "true blue Tory," and he identifies with many social conservative policies.
He's pro-choice, for example. In the past, he's said that he will march in Pride parades and voted in favour of a 2013 transgender rights bill, per Maclean's.
Similarly, O'Toole supports women's rights and religious rights.
However, several of O'Toole's policies would be considered more right-wing in nature, including gun ownership, tax reform and making it illegal to block transportation infrastructure (which would have had a major impact on the Wet'suwet'en blockades that took place in February).
Does Erin O'Toole have a family and/or wife?
O'Toole has a wife, Rebecca, a Nova Scotia resident who he met while studying law at Dalhousie University.
The pair have two children: a daughter, Mollie, and their son Jack. The family also owns a "spunky yellow Labrador Retriever," according to O'Toole's website.
We did it!!!! #teamotooleforthewin #cpcldr pic.twitter.com/2EMoSc2bZT
— Rebecca O'Toole (@RebeccaOToole1) August 24, 2020
How old is Erin O'Toole?
The Conservative Party Leader was born in 1973, and he turned 47 in January 2020.
How tall is Erin O'Toole?
Yup, this is really a frequently searched question. Nobody really knows the answer, but he looks to be about six inches shorter than former Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer, who is reportedly six feet four inches.
Joined my friend @PLawrence2019 to welcome our leader @AndrewScheer to Cobourg for a quick stop to rally the troops pic.twitter.com/K8Lugsy0o8
— Erin O'Toole (@ErinOTooleMP) August 20, 2019
What religion does Erin O'Toole practice?
O'Toole identifies as a Christian, although he has said in the past that he will champion religious freedom in Canada.
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