Foreign interference inquiry: Erin O’Toole testifies [Video]

OTTAWA –

Canada’s national approach to combating foreign interference rather than tackling it on a riding-by-riding basis may have cost Erin O’Toole his job and been unfair to voters, the former Conservative leader told a federal inquiry Wednesday.

It quickly became clear to O’Toole on election night in 2021 that he was not about to become prime minister — but he was nonetheless startled by the disappointing results in a number of ridings, he testified.

His team had already flagged concerns about foreign interference in as many as nine ridings with the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force, which includes representatives from CSIS, RCMP, Global Affairs Canada and the Communications Security Establishment.

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When the results for those ridings came in, turnout and Conservative support was far short ofwhat the party had expected to see based on their modelling, O’Toole …