Photo courtesy Canadian Press

By Greg Fry

Federal politics

Local Conservative MP weighs in on new party leader

Aug 26, 2020 | 2:51 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — Todd Doherty has weighed in on the election of Erin O’Toole as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.

The Conservative Cariboo-Prince George MP says he’s excited calling him a friend and a colleague.

“Erin is a friend, a colleague. Someone who I’ve worked with previously, on my private members bill on PTSD. He has passion about veterans rights and wellbeing and he’s been to our riding a number of times over the last couple of years and I’m excited to see him put his stamp on our party.”

He says O’Toole’s most important job will be to unite caucus and the party.

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“Canadians are more divided than ever before and I think we need to make sure that whatever we’re doing as a party, our leader has to unite us as a caucus, unite us as a party and then has to get us working for Canadians.”

Is he concerned about his future in caucus considering that he backed Peter McKay instead of Erin O’Toole in the leadership race?

“You know what, during leadership contests like this, there’s obviously groups that go one way and others that go the other and as I said before, Erin and I are friends, we talked all throughout the campaign and look, I’m just going to be the best MP that I can be.”

College of New Caledonia political science and history lecturer Chris Beach doesn’t think it will hurt Doherty moving forward.

“At this time, with four leaders in five years, I think the Conservatives are going to be motivated to rally behind the new leader and usually the leaders that are more successful, are able to put these divisions behind them and let bygones be bygones so to speak.