ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Politics

    • O'Toole should show 'leadership' and show unvaccinated Conservative MPs the door: Former PM Mulroney

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole should show leadership on mandatory vaccinations and show any of his unvaccinated MPs the door, says former prime minister and Conservative leader Brian Mulroney.

    Mulroney said that if he was the leader today, he would require all of his MPs to roll up their sleeves and receive the COVID-19 vaccine, calling it a “no-brainer.â€

    “Of course. That's leadership,†he said in an interview on CTV’s Question Period with host Evan Solomon.

    “Who am I to argue with tens of thousands of brilliant scientists and doctors who urge the population desperately to get vaccinated? And we're going to have some members of my caucus, for example, who are going to say ‘I'm not going to do it’? They have to do it.â€

    After a few weeks of conflicting messaging on the party’s position on the House of Commons’ new rules mandating vaccination, O’Toole said on Wednesday that his caucus has agreed to “respect and abide by†the policy but at the “earliest opportunity†his party will be challenging it.

    While O’Toole has said that when the new session begins, only fully-vaccinated Conservatives or those with valid medical exemptions who have been recently rapid-tested will be taking part in the House proceedings in-person next month, he refuses to say how many of his caucus of 118 MPs are unvaccinated.

    With the Liberals, New Democrats, and Bloc Quebecois all fully vaccinated and seemingly fully supportive of the Board of Internal Economy’s vaccine mandate, it remains to be seen how far the coming Conservative question of privilege to the Speaker will get.

    “Mr. O'Toole has a difficult challenge because of some of the components of his caucus, and I respect that, and I respect what he's done to try and deal with it. But I've encountered situations like that when I was leader of the party, and prime minister. For example there were two members of Parliament who wouldn't support the GST, out they went. There were others who wouldn't support language issues, out they went,†Mulroney said.

    “Look, you're not the leader to follow, you are the leader to lead, and if you think this is in the national interest, Canada's interest, you get your members of Parliament in line, and they have to support what you're doing.â€

    Mulroney said that O’Toole shouldn’t let members of his caucus defy his leadership, especially on this policy which he said is showing to be effective in bringing Canada closer to the end of the pandemic.

    VACCINE POLICY MAY HAVE COST HIM ELECTION

    Mulroney said that O’Toole’s position on mandatory vaccinations may have also played a role in his defeat in the Sept. 20 federal election.

    While during the campaign O’Toole had Mulroney’s endorsement—appearing alongside him at a campaign rally five days before the vote—the former prime minister says that the Conservative leader “lost momentum†as a result of their stance on vaccine mandates.

    “They were doing very well… for the first couple of weeks, and then they lost momentum simply because … Mr. Trudeau quite brilliantly poked holes in the Conservative positions on exactly what you and I are talking about: Vaccines, and health care and the problems that were going on in Alberta at the time,†Mulroney said.

    In the final days of the federal campaign, Alberta rolled out new restrictions in the face of a then-worsening new wave of COVID-19 infections after lifting most public health precautions over the summer. O’Toole was asked repeatedly to comment, specifically on whether he still thought Alberta Premier Jason Kenney handled the pandemic better than the prime minister, and he wouldn’t say.

    “This played a major role in the subsequent defeat of the Conservative Party,†Mulroney said.

    DIRECTION OF CONSERVATIVE PARTY?

    During the campaign, O’Toole – on the same day he campaigned with Mulroney – framed the party he is leading as “not your dad's Conservative Party.â€

    Asked what he thinks the Conservative Party today stands for, and what it needs to become, Mulroney said that while it doesn’t need to be the Progressive Conservative party it was under him, it wouldn’t hurt.

    “Although, as I remember, Brian Mulroney did pretty well in two general elections as a Progressive Conservative, winning the largest victory in Canadian history. And with his second one, he was the first Conservative leader since Sir John A. Macdonald to win back-to-back majorities in 100 years,†he said.

    “You have to be reasonable, and thoughtful and appeal to the broad middle class of Canada. For example on the environment, middle-class Canadians are doing fairly well. They don't need little tax cuts for hockey sticks and that kind of stuff to appeal to them,†Mulroney said.

    In the lead up to and during the campaign, O’Toole pitched a "personal low carbon savings account†that would rebate Canadians directly for what they paid on fuel, allowing them to use the funds for environmentally-friendly purchases. 

    “They for example, in that case, in my judgment, need and require a policy to ensure that they are able to pass on to their children and grandchildren a pristine environment… If you don't have a policy that reflects that urge in Canadians, that demand, that need on the environment, you're not going to win. And so the party has to adjust itself unless it wants to lose a couple more elections.â€

    Asked what his message is to the Conservatives who disagree with the need for a price on carbon, or refuse to acknowledge that climate change is real, Mulroney said: “Get with the program.â€

    “My message is it's inexorable, it's going to happen, so get with the program. You can't stop the tides of history from washing over you. And, this is a vital moment in Canadian history and indeed for the planet, and we should be there actively,†he said.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

    WesJet flight cancellations grew to over 800 Sunday afternoon, upending plans for close to 100,000 passengers as an unexpected strike by plane mechanics entered its third day on the busiest travel weekend of the season.

    A B.C. man who reneged on a deal to split the cost of removing a tree with his next-door neighbour is now on the hook for the whole amount, B.C.’s civil resolution has ruled.

    Several people were injured Saturday night after a man allegedly stole an occupied RV during a police chase at a campground in Lloydminster.

    A crowd of around 100,000 people were treated to a surprise appearance from a B.C. star during Coldplay’s set at Glastonbury Festival in England this weekend.

    Toronto police say they're investigating a pair of suspected hate-motivated offences after two city synagogues were damaged early Sunday morning.

    Canada

    • Toronto police say they're investigating a pair of suspected hate-motivated offences after two city synagogues were damaged early Sunday morning.

    • Several people were injured Saturday night after a man allegedly stole an occupied RV during a police chase at a campground in Lloydminster.

    • Gatineau Fire says though no injuries were reported, over 200 people were evacuated from their apartments Saturday night after a fire broke out in an apartment building in the Aylmer sector of Gatineau, Que.

    • The city is entering the final stages of resuming water service through its repaired feeder main, as water consumption continues to fall below the city’s threshold level.

    • A pedestrian in his 70s was struck and killed at an intersection in Brossard, on Montreal's South Shore.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    • Summer hours are a perk small businesses can offer to workers to boost morale

      Business owners have found that offering summer hours – a reduced schedule on Fridays, usually between Victoria Day and Labour Day — can be a way to boost employee morale. Workers are able to deal with summer childcare gaps, return to the office refreshed and feel like their job values them, owners say.

    • The new airline rivalries: Air Canada vs. Porter, WestJet vs. Flair

      In a country traditionally dominated by two national airlines, a new set of aviation rivalries has emerged. Porter is increasingly moving in on Air Canada's home turf of Central Canada as well as cross-country routes, while WestJet seeks to counter the threat of Flair Airlines in a shift from the decades-old industry dynamic of sparring between the two biggest carriers.

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    • It used to be cash was king and that you could get a better deal if you paid for a car in full, but now many dealers want you to finance your purchase so they can make more money.

    • Several stolen vehicles believed to have been used in organized and serious crime, including one homicide, have been found in Alberta during an investigation into an auto theft ring.

    Local Spotlight

    When Zhya Aramiy was living in Turkey and Iraq, he had to keep his Pride flags hidden away.

    A rave at the Ontario Science Centre was the place where Greg LeBlanc says his relationship first began with his husband Mark in 1997.

    The city is entering the final stages of resuming water service through its repaired feeder main, as water consumption continues to fall below the city’s threshold level.

    A grandfather and grandson duo proudly graduated alongside each other at the same northern Manitoba school.

    A large basking shark was captured close to the shoreline on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.

    The world's largest hockey stick could soon become the world's most in-pieces hockey stick as a Vancouver Island community prepares to tear down and carve up the Canadian landmark.

    For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.

    • With dozens of WestJet flights unceremoniously cancelled to and from Vancouver International Airport Sunday, many travelers have been forced to sleep at the airport, or pay out of pocket for a flight from another airline.

    • Dozens of WestJet flights to and from Vancouver International Airport were cancelled Sunday, as a strike by airline mechanics continues.

    • A crowd of around 100,000 people were treated to a surprise appearance from a B.C. star during Coldplay’s set at Glastonbury Festival in England this weekend.

    • Balloons, confetti and bubbles filled the air as thousands of people came together in downtown Toronto on Sunday for one of the biggest annual Pride celebrations in Canada.

    • Zach Edey will not be competing for Canada's men's basketball team at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

    • WesJet flight cancellations grew to over 800 Sunday afternoon, upending plans for close to 100,000 passengers as an unexpected strike by plane mechanics entered its third day on the busiest travel weekend of the season.

    • Emergency crews are on scene of a serious collision along Highway 36 north of Taber.

    • A fire destroyed one of Calgary’s favourite watering holes early Sunday morning.

    • The national Canada Day celebrations will be held at LeBreton Flats, while festivities are also planned on Parliament Hill and in Old Hull. Across Ottawa, Canada Day celebrations will be held in communities.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what's open and closed in Ottawa over the Canada Day long weekend.

    • Ottawa firefighters rescued a woman and a child who fell into the Rideau River in south Ottawa on Sunday afternoon.

    • A pedestrian in his 70s was struck and killed at an intersection in Brossard, on Montreal's South Shore.

    • Quebec merchants are facing another deadline to comply with new French language rules found in Bill 96 related to the size of French script on signage.

    • Canadian keeper Maxime Crepeau is among the five soccer players from Quebec making names for themselves as Canada advances to the Copa America quarterfinals.

    • A man was shot and killed by police Saturday night after a car crash in northeast Edmonton.

    • Canada Day fireworks will go off in the greater Edmonton area at 11 p.m. Monday.

    • WesJet flight cancellations grew to over 800 Sunday afternoon, upending plans for close to 100,000 passengers as an unexpected strike by plane mechanics entered its third day on the busiest travel weekend of the season.

    • At least five players with Maritime connections were selected during this weekend’s 2024 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

    • Colchester County District RCMP said a man involved in a stabbing Sunday morning in Tatamagouche, N.S., has been arrested.

    • A young filmmaker is celebrating after winning an award for his documentary “Visible.â€

    • A 31-year-old man is dead and two others are still missing after a group of boaters disappeared near Grand Rapids early Friday morning.

    • Central Park transformed into a hub for Indigenous culture on Sunday afternoon as part of this year’s Sakihiwe Festival. The free event brings music, art, fashion and heritage to inner city communities.

    • Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) crews were at the scene of a blaze in the city’s Centennial neighbourhood on Sunday morning.

    • Katepwa Point Provincial Park received an upgrade on Sunday, courtesy of Co-op.

    • The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be without quarterback Trevor Harris for a significant amount of time.

    • A death investigation is underway in Regina after a man died from his injuries on Saturday night.

    • Members of a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Waterloo have broken their silence surrounding a lawsuit and injunction filed by the school.

    • From abandoned animals to an 'unbearable' living situation and a fond farewell to one of CTV Kitchener's own, here are the most-read stories of the week.

    • Starting on July 1, all drivers pulled over by Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) officers may face an alcohol screening test.

    • Significant rainfall on Thursday and Friday put a major damper on people’s long weekend camping plans at Pike Lake Provincial Park, about 40 kilometres south of Saskatoon.

    • A Saskatoon staple, Nestor's bakery, which was founded nearly a century ago and has served Ukrainian baked goods on 20th street, will be changing ownership.

    • WestJet service out of Saskatoon is grinding to a halt on Canada Day long weekend after the airline’s mechanics walked off the job on Friday, citing the company’s “unwillingness to negotiate.â€

    • Two northern Ontario drivers were stopped by provincial police for stunt on Highway 69 driving on Friday.

    • A Greater Sudbury senior says she will be homeless after being evicted from her apartment.

    • Several area athletes are heading to the Olympics in Paris and the U20 World Championships in Peru after qualifying at the Bell Track and Field Championships in Montreal Friday.

    • Fire crews were called to the scene of a detached garage fire in the 100-block of Springbank Drive late Saturday night.

    • On Saturday evening, St. Thomas police were contacted by loss prevention at a local store located at 1063 Talbot St.

    • Provincial police have confirmed that a man was found dead near the Highway 400 and Bayfield Street overpass in Barrie on Friday.

    • Officers have shut down a riding trail due to a crash in Port Severn.

    • Muskoka's first-ever annual traditional Powwow brought hundreds to Bracebridge for a weekend of First Nations culture.

    • If you're driving around Windsor and notice a group of cyclists clad in maple leaf gear, they want you to know it's part of a long-standing tradition for Canada Day among friends and family.

    • VIDEO

      VIDEO

      As Bob Stevenson approaches his 100th birthday, he continues to drive independently, tend to his garden daily, and make time to visit his 92-year-old fiancée.

    • One man is in custody after a lengthy standoff with Windsor police.

    • Dozens of WestJet flights to and from Vancouver International Airport were cancelled Sunday, as a strike by airline mechanics continues.

    • With dozens of WestJet flights unceremoniously cancelled to and from Vancouver International Airport Sunday, many travelers have been forced to sleep at the airport, or pay out of pocket for a flight from another airline.

    • A B.C. man who reneged on a deal to split the cost of removing a tree with his next-door neighbour is now on the hook for the whole amount, B.C.’s civil resolution has ruled.

    • A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect Sunday for a swath of the B.C. Interior, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

    • Mounties in Kelowna say a suspect is at large after a man was stabbed in the city Sunday afternoon.

    • Police are remaining tight-lipped about a woman’s death in a Kelowna park on Friday.

    • With the recent moisture and cooler temperatures, fire bans and restrictions in the Lethbridge area are no longer in effect.

    • Plenty of tourists will descend on Lethbridge to see what the city offers. Locals, too, will have no shortage of activities this weekend.

    • The 122-year-old Raymond Stampede is set to get underway this weekend, but this year’s event will occur at a new location.

    • For the last several years Manitoulin Transport has been delivering food, medical supplies and cleaning materials to Ontario Wildlife Rescue centres across the province at no charge.

    • Sault police did nothing wrong when a man had a medical crisis while in a police cell, Ontario’s police watchdog has concluded.

    • Municipal officials and provincial police are baffled by the theft of some unique deer in the northern Ontario community of Elliot Lake.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News