Wednesday’s vote was 73-45 of the conservative MP’s present who decided to remove Erin O’Toole as the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party.
Battlefords-Lloydminster MP Rosemarie Falk issued a statement thanking O’Toole and his family for their service.
She noted the majority vote allows “an opportunity for the Conservative caucus to unite around shared conservative principles and to focus on standing up for Canadians.”
Falk says she is looking “forward with optimism to working with colleagues to hold Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to account and to showing Canadians a strong government in waiting.”
The move marks the first time that the Reform Act has been used to oust a party leader.
O’Toole who formally tendered his resignation to the party president, shared a resignation video on social media saying that being leader was “the honour of a lifetime.” However he added, “Canada is in a dire moment of our history.”
O’Toole also said to all MP’s,”Hear the other side. Listen to all voices, not just the echoes from your own tribe. Realize that our country is divided.”
An announcement for an interim leader is expected Wednesday evening.