O’toole says Indigenous reconciliation is a priority

OTTAWA — Conservative leader Erin O’toole says Indigenous reconciliation is a priority for him and he regrets injecting partisanship into a conversation about residential schools when speaking recently to young party members at Toronto’s Ryerson University.

“I was a little too flippant and partisan on an issue that is very, very important and a sad chapter in our history,” O’toole said. “On a sensitive topic like that, you have to show thoughtfulness.”

O’toole made the comments in a year-end interview with the National Post on Thursday, where he also discussed his tenure as Conservative leader so far, the chances of a 2021 election, his view on the federal carbon tax and whether he’s had internal backlash over his new tone on organized labour.

But first he addressed the news this week around his comments on residential schools.

In the video, O’toole was speaking to “cancel culture” and the idea of renaming Ryerson University over Egerton Ryerson’s own legacy in helping shape the residential school system. He gave tips on how to win debates with Liberals and the “woke crowd” over residential schools and said the initial goal of the system was to “provide education” but it became “a horrible program that really harmed people.”

On Wednesday, O’toole released a statement correcting that stance. “The system was intended to remove children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures,” O’toole’s statement said.