Representative Erin O'Toole Contact information

Erin Michael O’Toole PC CD MP, born on January 22, 1973, is a Canadian politician and member of Parliament (MP) for Durham since 2012. He is a member of the Conservative Party and served as the party’s leader and the leader of the Official Opposition from 2020 to 2022.

O’Toole was born in Montreal, Quebec, but grew up in Port Perry and Bowmanville. In 1991, he joined the Canadian Forces and attended the Royal Military College (RMC) until 1995, where he studied and graduated with an honours Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science. After his graduation, O’Toole served in the Air Command as an air navigator, eventually reaching the rank of captain. He was involved in search and rescue operations and served at various wings across Canada.

In 2000, O’Toole completed his active service in the military and transitioned to the reserves. He pursued a law degree at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, graduating in 2003. O’Toole then began his legal career, working as a lawyer in Toronto, specializing in areas such as product liability, insolvency, and general commercial law. He also served as in-house counsel for Procter & Gamble and worked as a registered lobbyist for Facebook, Inc. at the law firm Heenan Blaikie.

O’Toole’s political career began in 2012 when he won a by-election and became the Conservative MP for Durham. He quickly rose through the ranks and was appointed as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of international trade in 2013. In 2015, he was appointed as the minister of veterans affairs in the Harper government, where he focused on improving relations with veterans and addressing their concerns.

In 2017, O’Toole ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party but finished third behind Andrew Scheer and Maxime Bernier. He then served as the Official Opposition critic for public safety under Rona Ambrose’s leadership. O’Toole won re-election in 2019 and became the official opposition critic for foreign affairs under Andrew Scheer’s leadership.

Following Scheer’s resignation in 2019, O’Toole announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2020. He ran a successful campaign, positioning himself as a “true blue” conservative and emphasizing his support for working-class Canadians. O’Toole won the leadership election and became the leader of the Conservative Party and the Official Opposition.

During his leadership, O’Toole focused on gradually eliminating the federal deficit, simplifying federal taxes, promoting a low carbon savings account, and advocating for pipeline construction. He also supported a CANZUK agreement and took a tough stance on China’s actions on the international stage. O’Toole’s voting record on social issues was considered socially progressive.

In the 2021 federal election, O’Toole led the Conservative Party but lost to Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party. However, O’Toole won re-election in his home riding of Durham and received a plurality of the popular vote. Despite the election loss, he stated that he would remain as party leader. However, on February 2, 2022, O’Toole was ousted as leader after losing a leadership review from Conservative Party MPs.

Throughout his career, O’Toole has been recognized as a moderate member of the Conservative Party. He has demonstrated a commitment to public service, serving in the military, practicing law, and representing his constituents in Parliament.