O'Toole kicks senator who questioned his leadership out of the Conservative caucus

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole has kicked Saskatchewan Sen. Denise Batters out of the national caucus a day after she launched a petition calling for an expedited review of his leadership.

"As the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, I will not tolerate an individual discrediting and showing a clear lack of respect towards the efforts of the entire Conservative caucus, who are holding the corrupt and disastrous Trudeau government to account," O'Toole said in a media statement late Tuesday.

The statement was released shortly after Batters emerged from a virtual meeting of the Senate Conservative caucus.

Batters launched the petition Monday, saying she and other party members have lost faith in O'Toole. She argued the party experienced "significant losses" in the fall campaign after O'Toole flip-flopped on major issues such as carbon pricing, firearms and conscience rights. She said she wants members to have a say on O'Toole's future prior to the planned 2023 party convention.

Party rules require an automatic leadership review at the first national convention following a failed federal election campaign. Batters has said she wants that vote to happen in the next six months.

"Mr. O'Toole flip-flopped on policies core to our party within the same week, the same day, and even within the same sentence. The members didn't have a say on that, but we must have one on his leadership," Batters said in a statement announcing the petition.

Under the party's constitution, a referendum on any matter can be launched if five per cent of Conservative members sign a petition calling on the party to poll the membership on the topic through a referendum. 

And, only a day after the anti-O'Toole effort was launched, a spokesperson for Batters said the petition has collected 2,000 signatures already.

The break with Batters comes as Conservatives eager to keep O'Toole in his position gather support from caucus members to dump MPs who back the Saskatchewan senator's petition.

Senior Conservative sources with knowledge of caucus matters told CBC News that — in an attempt to discourage caucus members who are considering signing that petition — 24 Conservative MPs have pledged to sign a letter triggering the Reform Act, which would then enable a vote to expel members who back the Batters' petition.

The Reform Act — legislation drafted by Conservative MP Michael Chong and adopted by Parliament — is designed to give MPs more decision-making power in a parliamentary system that has become increasingly centralized around party leaders and their teams.

One of the act's provisions is a mechanism to kick MPs out of the caucus. At least 20 per cent of caucus members must formally request an expulsion vote. If enough agree, a secret ballot vote is then held to decide the fate of that MP.

Conservative sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly, said at least 70 MPs have indicated they would vote to expel MPs who are not supportive of O'Toole — enough to meet the minimum 50 per cent required under the act.

The sources would not name any of the MPs who pledged to sign the letter and CBC News has not independently confirmed that number.