O'Toole Says Liberals Can Play Politics, While Conservatives Focus on the Issues

Conservative member of Parliament Michelle Rempel Garner (L to R) and Conservative leader Erin O'Toole and Conservative member of Parliament Candice Bergen arrive to hold a press conference in Ottawa, on Oct. 22, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is brushing off concerns his party is setting up Parliament for yet another confidence vote.

The Conservatives are using another chance they get this week to set the House of Commons agenda to propose a motion calling for a sweeping probe by the House of Commons health committee of a host of issues relating to the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The motion is so broad and the demand for documents so massive that the Liberals are expected to argue that its passage would paralyze the government—the same argument used to declare an earlier Conservative motion on the WE Charity affair a confidence matter.

The government survived thanks to support yesterday afternoon from the NDP and Greens.

O’Toole says while he has no confidence in the government, that doesn’t mean every issue has to trigger a confidence vote and the new motion is not intended to force one.

He says if the Liberals want to play political games, that’s up to them but what his party is a better COVID-19 response.