Prince Albert MP Randy Hoback supported second-placed Peter MacKay in the Conservative Party leadership contest but is getting behind winner Erin O'Toole. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

New Leader

Hoback’s candidate falls short but gets behind O’Toole

Aug 24, 2020 | 2:00 PM

Prince Albert MP, Conservative Randy Hoback, didn’t back the winner in yesterday’s party leadership contest but calls the victor and lesser known Erin O’Toole, “a smart guy” who the membership figures can beat Justin Trudeau.

Noting the challenges Ontario MP O’Toole will face in becoming more of a household name – with a snap election possibly within months – Hoback said he had backed second-placed Peter MacKay because he was already a well-known figure.

“That was one of the reasons why I supported MacKay, not necessarily for policy or personality reasons, [but] just with O’Toole we have more work to do,” Hoback told paNOW from Ottawa. “Having said that, we have a great person to work with, who has a great resume…and who can articulate very well in the House of Commons and on the campaign trail.”

O’Toole was with the Royal Canadian Air Force before becoming a lawyer. He served as Minister of Veteran Affairs in the Stephen Harper government. He ended up with over 57 per cent of all ballots at the end of the multi-round voting contest Sunday night. Of 270,000 eligible members, 175,000 voted for the largest turnout in the party’s history.

Hoback said the membership had spoken and “is always right” in thinking O’Toole had the best chance of leading the party to success against Trudeau’s Liberals, and now it is up to the party to unite behind him and get ready for the next election. That could be as soon as a few months away following the reopening of parliament in late September.

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Does Hoback think it will be a challenge for O’Toole to build national support given his success Sunday appears to have come from social conservatives and those further to the political right? MacKay was the candidate who appealed most to the more centrist elements of the party.

“I think Canadians are not uncomfortable with social conservatives, it just has to be presented in the appropriate way,” he said. “Peter MacKay was unable to convince social conservatives he was the safe place to park their vote where Erin O’Toole was.”

But Hoback said O’Toole could grow the party base “to include social conservatives, libertarians, strong fiscal conservatives and people who aren’t normally politically active at all,” as they looked to topple the Liberal government.

The P.A. MP figured O’Toole already had a head start when it comes to having run a successful leadership campaign through the restrictions and challenges of the COVID-19 situation.

“He has learned different ways of campaigning that the Liberals, NDP and Bloc have not experienced. He’s learned the techniques to reach out to people, to build our base, our party and to win. And that’s what we need to do in the federal election,” he said.

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow