Ottawa — A Conservative riding association has launched a petition against Erin O'Toole's decision to introduce a "carbon tax," marking the latest trouble brewing for the leader.
The party's electoral district association for Battlefords-Lloydminster in rural Saskatchewan announced Monday it had launched a petition it plans to present to the Conservatives' national council.
The move is the most recent blow to O'Toole's leadership as in the past few weeks at least three other riding associations have requested he undergo an early leadership review by mid-June. Those include Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek, which is also in Saskatchewan, and the Alberta riding of Foothills.
Some of his MPs also feel O'Toole's not fit for the job four months after losing last year's federal election to the Liberals, and failing to make much-needed gains in Ontario and Quebec.
In a statement Monday, Battlefords-Lloydminster riding president Michael Hudec said O'Toole didn't honour the policy members adopted last March at their national convention that spells out their belief there shouldn't be any federal carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems imposed onto provinces.
He says O'Toole violated that policy last April when he revealed the party's climate change plan included a carbon pricing system that would see the money consumers pay be entered into a proposed "personal low carbon savings account," which they could then spend on items to help them live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
"Make no mistake, it's just the O'Toole carbon tax, but by another name," Hudec said in a statement.
"O'Toole's carbon tax will make everything more expensive for everyone, and is the exact opposite of what our members voted for at our most recent democratic policy convention."
In a subsequent interview, the riding association president said Monday that O'Toole's embrace of carbon pricing has caused dissatisfaction among members he speaks to because it's drawing the party away from its roots.
In a statement of her own, the riding's MP, Rosemarie Falk,says she respects the decision of the riding association's board.
"The Conservative Party of Canada is a grassroots political party with an obligation to be accountable and responsive to its membership," she said.
"As the member of Parliament for Battlefords-Lloydminster, my position has always been that a carbon tax is ineffective and unfairly punishes the rural communities that I represent."
During last year's campaign, O'Toole himself acknowledged his introduction of carbon pricing -- which climate change experts cheered -- frustrated some Conservative members. Since then, he's argued his plan isn't a "carbon tax" because unlike the federal backstop applied by the Liberal government, his proposal wouldn't see money sent to government coffers.
Party president Rob Batherson said in a statement Monday national council has the authority to determine if a petition is valid, saying this one will be reviewed at a future meeting.
Despite the turmoil, a memo obtained by The Canadian Press, which was recently presented to national council by Batherson, says 2021 "significantly exceeded our expectations for the year."
The document outlines how the party ended the year -- the second of the COVID-19 pandemic --with nearly $27 million raised, making 2021 the third-best year on record when it came to fundraising, Batherson says.
However, annual filings to Elections Canada shows the party raked in less money in 2021 than during the past two election years. In 2019, filings show the party collected around $30.9 million in total contributions and about $29 million in 2015. Unlike last year's election, the previous two races happened when majority governments were in power.
In December, the memo says it ended the quarter with almost $3.1 million raised. It said because of the election, donors who typically donate in the fourth quarter were encouraged to do so in the third.
By comparison, the Liberals said they banked $3.7 million over the fourth quarter of 2021.
In his note, Batherson says it was expected for the Liberals to raise more in the final quarter following their election win because that has been the case for the party that forms government through past cycles.
He also adds the Conservatives gained nearly 20,000 new donors and are now election-ready after having already paid off its election loan.
"This is the earliest we have accomplished this in party history," the memo reads.
"To be ready for an election only four months after the previous one is unheard of in Canadian politics -- but here we are."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2022.