Erin O'Toole

The Honourable Erin O'Toole PC CD
O'Toole in 2021
Leader of the Opposition
In office August 24, 2020 – February 2, 2022
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Deputy	Candice Bergen
Preceded by	Andrew Scheer
Succeeded by	Candice Bergen
Leader of the Conservative Party
In office August 24, 2020 – February 2, 2022
Deputy	Candice Bergen
Preceded by	Andrew Scheer
Succeeded by	Candice Bergen (interim)
Minister of Veterans Affairs
In office January 5, 2015 – November 4, 2015
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Julian Fantino
Succeeded by	Kent Hehr
Member of Parliament for Durham
In office November 26, 2012 – August 1, 2023[1]
Preceded by	Bev Oda
Succeeded by	Jamil Jivani
Shadow cabinet posts
2020–2021	Shadow Minister for Middle Class Prosperity
2017–2020	Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Personal details
Born	Erin Michael O'Toole (1973-01-22) January 22, 1973 (age 51) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Rebecca Grant ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	2
Parent	John O'Toole (father)
Alma mater	Royal Military College of Canada (BA (Hons)) Dalhousie University (LLB)
Profession	Politician Lawyer
Website	erinotoole.ca
Military service
Branch/service	Air Command
Years of service	1991–2000 (active) 2000–2003 (reserve)
Rank	Captain
Unit	423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron
Awards	Canadian Forces' Decoration Sikorsky Helicopter Rescue Award

Erin Michael O'Toole PC CD (born January 22, 1973) is a former Canadian politician who served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Durham from 2012 to 2023. A member of the Conservative Party, O'Toole served as the party's leader and the leader of the Official Opposition from 2020 to 2022.

Born in Montreal, O'Toole grew up in Port Perry and Bowmanville. He joined the Canadian Forces in 1991 and studied at the Royal Military College (RMC) until 1995. He was commissioned in Air Command,^{[note 1]} serving as an air navigator, eventually attaining the rank of captain. Following his active service, he received a law degree, practicing law for nearly a decade until he was elected to the House of Commons in a 2012 by-election. In 2015, O'Toole briefly served as veterans affairs minister in the Harper government. In 2017, he ran for the party's leadership, finishing third to winner Andrew Scheer.

After Scheer resigned as leader in late 2019, O'Toole ran a successful leadership campaign, defeating former cabinet minister Peter MacKay in the 2020 leadership election. After he assumed the leadership, O'Toole marketed his party to working-class Canadians. O'Toole lost the 2021 federal election while receiving a plurality of the popular vote, and also won re-election in his home riding of Durham. O'Toole stated he would stay on as party leader, but on February 2, 2022, he was ousted after losing a leadership review from sitting Conservative Party MPs.

O'Toole has been described as a moderate member of his party. On domestic policy issues, O'Toole supports gradually eliminating the federal deficit, simplifying federal taxes, a low carbon savings account, and pipeline construction. On foreign policy issues, O'Toole supports a CANZUK agreement and a hard-line approach to the Chinese government, considering it to be a bad actor on the international stage. O'Toole's voting record on social issues has been mainly characterized as socially progressive.

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