Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff is thanking former Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O’Toole for his work and says looking ahead, he’ll support the next leader of the party.
Following a recent Conservative election campaign review last week, O’Toole was removed from his position as leader Wednesday by a 73-45 caucus vote and MP Candice Bergen was voted in as the interim leader.
Ruff supported O’Toole from the beginning of the last leadership race in 2020. He says, “I have unequivocally supported Erin as the grassroots elected Leader of the CPC,” explaining, “My support to the interim leader will be the same. I am committed to a united Conservative team now, and under the new leader, who will be chosen by the membership of the Conservative Party in the forthcoming leadership race.”
“Ruff says, I’m a team player. I’ll be 100 per cent behind Candice as our interim leader. I’m going to be 100 per cent behind whoever the grassroots elect as our new leader of the party.”
He adds, “If I’m not, that’ll be pretty obvious because I won’t be part of the team anymore. If I don’t believe in something or somebody, I’ll make that crystal clear, there’s no hiding that.”
In a statement released Thursday, Ruff thanked O’Toole for his, “Unwavering dedication to the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), and all Canadians as the Leader of the Conservative Party, and the Official Opposition in the House of Commons.”
Ruff adds, “Being a politician, and even more so, being the leader of the only big tent federal party left in Canada will always be a challenge. This was further exacerbated by the challenges of being leader during a global pandemic. I have known Erin for almost 30 years, and there are few Canadians in the country more dedicated, or who care more for this country, its citizens, and its future than Erin does.”
Ruff says, “Until we have an elected leader, I and my Conservative colleagues will fulfill our current role as the Official Opposition under our interim leader the Hon. Candice Bergen and will hold the Liberal government to account and ensure government legislation works for all Canadians. We will focus on sharing our Conservative vision of hope, fiscal responsibility, and a united Canada to demonstrate to Canadians we are ready to govern in advance of the next federal election.”
Ruff says, “Candice has been a long-time leader in the Conservative movement,” adding, “She’s well respected, well known and I think is a great choice for our interim leader.” He says Bergen has the experience needed for a smooth transition and to lead the Official Opposition. Ruff says Bergen also has the ability to make changes in the shadow cabinet during her time as interim leader.
But, Ruff says the sooner a leader is chosen, the better, as it will allow Canadians more time to get to know them. Erin O’Toole had a relatively brief opportunity to make himself better known, as he became leader in 2020 and in September 2021, a snap election was called.
Ruff, who was first elected in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound in October of 2019, says he has no intention of running for the party’s leadership.
When asked what kind of characteristics he’d like to see in the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, he says, being able to speak both official languages is key, noting, “Somebody that is respectful, is a leader, understands the unique challenges of governing Canada not just from one aspect– it’s every aspect and every part of the country and every sector of the country, every industry,” adding, “Somebody that is authentic, true to themselves and is a leader.”
Ruff says one of the next steps will be to form a Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) which then sets out the rules and timeline for the leadership race. He says he will be lending his voice alongside some of his colleagues to advocate for an expedited leadership race.
“I think there’s a lot of fundamental decisions that need to be made going forward considering just how divided the country is under the current Liberal Government, especially with the amount of sheer national debt that they’ve imposed onto Canadians, and how are we going to solve that problem if we have the privilege of governing? There’s lots to do, so the sooner we have that new leader, the better, in my opinion.”
Ruff says, he doesn’t know yet how long the leadership race will be but adds, “I’d love to see a new, permanent leader selected by the summer.”
He adds, “I look forward to working with my colleagues under our interim leader, and eventually, under our next leader to keep our party united, and to build trust throughout the grassroots, and with Canadians across the country. I am excited for the future, and the potential and opportunities our party has looking forward.”