O’Toole distancing himself from MacKay, Scheer

CALGARY — In a speech before Conservative faithful in Calgary Monday evening, just hours after he kicked off his campaign to lead the party, Erin O’Toole tried to paint himself as the candidate who is neither Peter MacKay or Andrew Scheer, imploring the crowd to back him as the man who could lead the party back into power in Ottawa.

Held at a luxurious and exclusive private club in downtown Calgary, in his speech, O’Toole rattled off several ideas baked into the conservative canon: a strong military, opposition to the carbon tax, nostalgia for the years when Stephen Harper was prime minister and a distaste for the policies of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.

“People are losing their jobs. People are losing their homes. People are losing hope,” said O’Toole. “And what have we been doing? Fighting amongst ourselves, at times, instead of taking the fight where we need to — to defeating Justin Trudeau.”

The event, held in a rather resplendent burgundy and wood-panelled room, featuring portraits of the moustachioed founders of The Ranchmen’s Club, saw some 150 people show up to hear O’Toole speak. Before O’Toole took to the lectern, those in the crowd chatted, some mulling over O’Toole versus MacKay, sipping on $9.50 import beers and $10 glasses of wine, and nibbling at a vast array of cheeses set out in the centre of the room. (Some, it appeared, were in flagrant violation of the strict dress code, while others had their furs and black suits; the dazzling array of outfits one sees among events featuring the well-heeled.)

Moving in between English and French — “I speak like a soldier, not a diplomat” — he said he will respect all conservatives and work together and build a positive, conservative vision of Canada.

“We spend too much time talking about the country that we don’t want to see.

It’s time that we start talking about being for a strong and united Canada and only our strong conservative principles can make that happen,” said O’Toole.