O’Toole faces divided caucus as retreat begins with leadership questions looming

Caucus members will get a look Thursday at a review of the Conservatives' 2021 election loss done by former Alberta MP James Cumming.

Erin O’Toole faced restive MPs and grassroots questions about his leadership on the first day of a Conservative caucus retreat — and worse could be yet to come Thursday when MPs are presented with a long-awaited post mortem on the party’s election loss.

Wednesday marked the first time O’Toole has met with his team this year as he continues dealing with calls for his leadership to be reviewed and some in caucus questioning his ability to even do the job.

Among things discussed behind closed-doors was Quebec’s controversial secularism law, which O’Toole is under pressure from some MPs to take a tougher stand against.

As well, Conservatives discussed the convoy of truckers and others opposed to public health restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 rolling towards Ottawa to protest the federal government’s vaccine mandate for cross-border truck drivers.

Many of O’Toole’s MPs, including deputy leader Candice Bergen, have expressed full-throated support for the truckers’ protest, with some saying they will attend. Their endorsements come even as concerns are being raised about individuals pushing more extreme — and even violent — ideas tagging along with the group.

“We have to make sure that everything is peaceful,” O’Toole told reporters Wednesday evening as left the caucus meeting, where he confirmed the convoy was discussed.

“Peaceful is the priority.”

On the eve of the Conservatives’ retreat, the divisions O’Toole faces were reinforced when one of the party’s riding associations in Saskatchewan — where the Tories hold all 14 seats — passed a resolution requesting his leadership be reviewed by mid-June instead of waiting until a scheduled vote at the next national convention in 2023.