'Not your dad's Conservative party,' Erin O'Toole says, before endorsement from Mulroney

Back on the road with five days left to pitch his party to Canadians as the best placed to govern, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole took a new tack on Wednesday, appealing directly to voters who may not have considered voting Conservative before, before receiving a notable endorsement from former prime minister Brian Mulroney.

O’Toole said that his party, like others, has let down voters in the past, and asserted that under his leadership things will change, something his predecessor emphasized as well.

“Today, I want to talk to the many Canadians who are beginning to tune in to this election in its final days, and maybe—hopefully—looking at the Conservatives for the first time,” O’Toole said at a campaign event at a legion in a Bloc Quebecois-held riding north of Quebec City.

“I know some of you may be hesitant because of things you may have heard or impressions that are a little out of date… I understand that for years you’ve been let down by Mr. Trudeau and the by the Liberal government, but really if we’re being honest, you’ve been let down by parties of all stripes, mine included at times.”

Asked what he feels his party has let Canadians down on in the past, O’Toole cited past Conservative climate policies, engagement with working Canadians and union leaders, and outreach to cultural communities.