Canada's Conservatives have been feeling exceptionally frustrated in recent years. Last year included the second consecutive parliamentary election where they won the popular vote, but not the most seats, which means that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has remained in power, even despite his plummet in popularity. Along with his Liberal Party having been scandal-plagued and being decimated at the provincial level in many ways.
The fallout from the results has included increased separatism sentiment in the country's western provinces. And it seems to have led to another change in Conservative leadership.
Erin O'Toole ousted from his leadership position
Erin O'Toole is no longer leader of the Conservatives. Effectively also made him no longer the leader of the opposition in the Canadian Parliament. Despite leading his side to the biggest vote total in the last election.
Discontent had been growing among Conservatives from another disappointing electoral result. O'Toole is the second Conservative leader in a role to reach their journey's end in such a fashion. Andrew Scheer led his team to the biggest popular vote tally in 2019, but came up short in the seat count. A couple of months later, he announced his resignation.
O'Toole says he will remain in Parliament. He was first elected to the House of Commons from Durham in southern Ontario in 2012.
O'Toole has also held onto the role of shadow minister for middle-class prosperity, which he'd been serving concurrently in with his other duties.
Previously, O'Toole had been a member of Prime Minister Stephen Harpers's Cabinet as minister of veterans affairs. Later, he was the shadow minister of defense during Scheer's tenure as opposition leader.
Before going into politics, Erin O'Toole served in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He graduated from the Royal Military College with a history and political science degree. O'Toole would achieve a captain's rank in the Air Force.
Eventually, O'Toole received a law degree from Dalhousie University's Schulich School of Law. He would join the law firms Stikeman Elliott and Heenan Blaikie.
Along with working as a counsel for Procter & Gamble and one of its subsidiaries, Gillette.
His father, John, was a provincial legislator in Ontario. In 2014, he was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Clarington, Ontario.
Candice Bergen becomes opposition leader on an interim basis
Candice Bergen has taken over as Conservative and opposition leaders. She had been both deputy leader of the Conservatives and deputy leader of the opposition beforehand.
Bergen holds a seat in the House of Commons from the riding of Portage-Lisgar in southern Manitoba. She was first elected to Parliament in 2008. Her roles have included minister of state for social development, shadow minister of natural resources, and opposition house leader.
An eventual leadership election is expected to take place to select a permanent leader at some point.
