Sloan's run as a Conservative MP has come to an end

MP calls move `callous and misguided'

OTTAWA • Derek Sloan’s run as a Conservative MP has come to an end after 15 months of controversy and turmoil, including a failed leadership bid and two attempts to boot him out of caucus.

On Wednesday, after more than three hours of discussion at an emergency caucus meeting, Conservative MPS voted to eject Sloan from the party following news this

week that Sloan had accepted a donation from white supremacist Paul Fromm. The vote was conducted by secret ballot and needed a simple majority to pass.

Sloan will still represent the Ontario riding of Hastings — Lennox and Addington as an independent MP.

Conservative leader Erin O'toole sought Sloan's ejection after the donation was reported by Press Progress, and further promised he wouldn't allow Sloan to run for the party in the next election.

Sloan had strongly protested the move to eject him, arguing he was unaware of the donation — possibly because it was made under the name Frederick P. Fromm — and had asked for it to be refunded when he found out. Sloan also pointed out Fromm got a Conservative Party membership using the same name; the party moved to revoke that membership on Tuesday.

Privately, many Conservatives felt the donation was thin grounds on which to expel an MP, especially given the disguised name. However, Sloan had little support in caucus due to his repeated controversies and refusal to be a team player. One MP at the meeting told the National Post that most of the concern expressed ahead of the vote was around O'toole's handling of the matter, not support for Sloan personally.

After the vote, O'toole released a statement saying it was about a pattern of behaviour.

“The Conservative Caucus voted to remove Derek Sloan not because of one specific event, but because of a pattern of destructive behaviour involving multiple incidents and disrespect towards the Conservative team for over a year,” O'toole's statement said. “These actions have been a consistent distraction from our efforts to grow the party and focus on the work we need to do. Events of the past week were simply the last straw and led to our caucus making the decision it did today.”

O'toole also said the vote was not about Sloan's views as a social conservative.

“We have Members of Parliament of deep compassion and unmatched character, who like many Canadians, draw strength from their faith,” his statement said.

“The Conservative Party is a big tent that is reflective of all Canadians. People of all backgrounds have a place in our Party.”

After his ejection, Sloan sent an email to supporters that slammed O'toole for going on the “warpath” against him, but urged them to keep their party memberships and secure delegate spots at the upcoming Conservative policy convention.

“No matter how callous and misguided today's actions by Erin and my colleagues were, we have much work to do in the next two months as we prepare for the policy convention in March,” Sloan's email said.

“No matter how ugly — how undemocratic — the events of the last two days have been, always remember, the Party is not the personal property of Erin O'toole; the CPC belongs to you — the grassroots of the Party,” the email said.

Sloan, a 36-year-old lawyer, entered the Conservative leadership race in January 2020 despite very little name recognition. He ran a hardright, populist campaign backed primarily by the social conservative wing of the party's base, and finished last place out of the four contenders on the final ballot, drawing slightly more than 15 per cent of the vote.

Midway through the race, Sloan prompted outrage after he questioned whether Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam, who was born in Hong Kong, was “working for Canada or working for China.”

A move by some MPS to eject him from caucus failed, and Sloan insisted he never meant to question Tam's loyalty. However, numerous Conservative MPS publicly denounced Sloan's comments about Tam.

Sloan has caused many other headaches for the Conservatives, including over his ANTI-LGBTQ views, his fierce fight against the government's conversion therapy bill, and his sponsorship of an anti-vaccine petition to Parliament.

The party has also recently been investigating him over his use of robocalls and emails to encourage supporters to attend the party's policy convention, as first reported by the Toronto Star. The party received complaints that Sloan's activities may have violated CRTC rules prohibiting solicitation, and that he may have been illegitimately using the party's membership database. Sloan denied any wrongdoing to the Star.

“The Party has demanded basic, yet pertinent information from Mr. Sloan for what appears to be a violation of the CRTC rules,” said a statement from party spokesperson Cory Hann. “He has declined to share it thus far, and ignored several requests. We take this seriously, and expect all caucus members and candidates to fully comply with all rules, regulations, and laws.”

O'toole's move to boot Sloan from caucus came after O'toole released a long statement on the weekend that outlined his rejection of the “far right.”

“The Conservatives are a moderate, pragmatic, mainstream party — as old as Confederation — that sits squarely in the centre of Canadian politics,” O'toole's statement said. “There is no place for the far right in our Party.”

O'toole had also said Sloan's acceptance of Fromm's donation “is far worse than a gross error of judgment or failure of due diligence,” despite the fact Fromm had also been given a party membership.

“Racism is a disease of the soul, repugnant to our core values,” O'toole said about the donation. “It has no place in our country. It has no place in the Conservative Party of Canada. I won't tolerate it.”

EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK WERE SIMPLY THE LAST STRAW.