If Erin O’Toole wants to be a leader, why does he refuse to act like one?

Watching Erin O’Toole obfuscate with reporters Monday — on whether or not he helps a truck convoy protesting vaccination guidelines — laid naked the Conservative chief’s principal problem. He desperately desires to keep away from his predecessor’s errors however in doing so retains making his personal errors.

O’Toole was requested eight occasions, whether or not he stands with the so-called “freedom convoy,” the truckers making their option to Parliament to protest the obligatory vaccination of these crossing the border. (Since Jan. 15, unvaccinated Canadian drivers require pre-arrival COVID-19 testing and should quarantine upon their return. New American guidelines stop them from re-entering the U.S.) 4 occasions, O’Toole was requested if he would meet with them. He by no means gave a transparent reply.

His response? Everybody — together with truckers — ought to get vaccinated (however not by way of a mandate) and a “resolution for our provide chain disaster” must be discovered. His proposal is a $333 to $666 break on Canada Pension Plan funds to make journeys to the grocery retailer much less painful.

When it was clear that questions wouldn't finish till they have been no less than considerably addressed, O’Toole stated he didn’t suppose it was the chief of the official opposition’s position to fulfill with protestors.

It’s an odd response. If Ukrainian Canadians took to Parliament Hill in massive numbers to name for the defence of their homeland within the face of Russian aggression, I’d be shocked to see O’Toole keep away from the rally. MPs and get together leaders typically be a part of protests. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a knee throughout an anti-racism protest on Parliament Hill in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd. Some Conservative MPs are regulars on the anti-abortion March for Life protest additionally on Parliament Hill.

However then, after all, I remembered former Conservative chief Andrew Scheer’s unlucky look on the “United We Roll” rally, the same convoy in 2019 that made its option to Ottawa, this one with oil and gasoline employees. It was billed as a pro-pipeline rally, however the group’s roots within the yellow-vest motion have been obvious on the hill, the place anti-immigration rhetoric was seen and Religion Goldy, a social media character with white nationalist ties, addressed the gang. Scheer’s workplace tried to defend his presence. Certainly, O’Toole’s camp needed to keep away from that state of affairs. The brand new Tory chief has sought to color a special image of his get together to mainstream Canadians and the chance that the offended truckers could collect in methods just like the final convoy should not be misplaced on him.

If he avoids the group, O’Toole could also be admitting he thinks the anti-vaxxers are simply as Trudeau has labelled them, “typically misogynist, typically racists as effectively.” That’s the characterization the prime minister gave the group on French tv present La semaine des 4 Julie a couple of months in the past. In discussing efforts to persuade these nonetheless hesitant to be vaccinated, Trudeau stated there may be additionally a small group that can by no means be satisfied, who “don’t consider in science.” Some have latched on to that assertion to counsel, incorrectly, that Trudeau labelled all of the unvaccinated racists and misogynists.

(The reality is one thing else O’Toole has issue with lately. He has not taken duty for purposefully twisting Setting Minister Steven Guilbeault’s feedback to counsel the Liberals need to part out the Canadian vitality sector in 18 months, and Monday, throughout his press convention, he stated the Liberals had “floated” a coverage change on the trucking mandate. Actually, as I and The Canadian Press have reported, no coverage change was floated; quite, the obvious flip-flop was merely a bureaucratic error.)

O’Toole’s most urgent drawback is his lack of readability. When he stakes out positions, it’s not clear he’ll preserve them (see: the kind of Conservative he's, his defence of conscience rights, or MPs’ rights, or gun rights, or scrapping the CBC’s tv service, or the carbon tax).

It’s not laborious to speak. However it's you probably have no readability in your place. O’Toole might have stated he understands the truckers’ disappointment however doesn’t help their strategies, of blocking roads and busy borders. He might have stated he has no plans to fulfill with the group however would have appreciated the Liberals to barter with the U.S. a waiver for unvaccinated Canadian drivers. Or he might have stated he agrees together with his Alberta MP Garnett Genuis who tweeted that he stands with the truckers and referred to as on Trudeau to finish his “nonsensical vaccine vendetta.”

Being a frontrunner is about taking positions and defending them. As O’Toole prepares to fulfill his caucus for the primary time this yr, maybe he ought to ask himself why he desires to stay get together chief, if he can’t deliver himself to steer.