O'Toole defends removing senator calling for leadership vote as 'necessary' for Conservative unity

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is defending his decision to remove Sen. Denise Batters from his party's caucus after she started a petition calling for an expedited review of his leadership, calling it 'necessary,' while Batters said the move 'speaks volumes' about O'Toole. 'You don't want to make that decision, but really she made it for herself,' O'Toole said Wednesday.

“You don't want to make that decision, but really she made it for herself,” O’Toole said Wednesday, on his way into a caucus meeting focused on preparing for the return of Parliament.

“We have to have all members of the team focused at that, and it was a necessary decision to make for the well-being of our caucus, of our Parliament, and of the country,” he said.

In a statement issued Wednesday morning, Batters said she is, and “always will be a Conservative,” but said that the current leader “cannot tolerate criticism.”

“After the election, I raised my concerns with Mr. O’Toole directly. He did not respond and he did not act. I then asked publicly that our members have a voice. His response now is to kick me out,” she said.