Article content

OTTAWA – Erin O’Toole, a prominent Ontario Tory MP and former cabinet minister, announced late Thursday he’s officially exploring a Conservative party leadership bid as he rounds up considerable caucus support for his expected candidacy.

O’Toole resigned Thursday evening from his role as the Conservative public safety critic to “explore a run for leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada,” according to a letter to interim Tory Leader Rona Ambrose.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Former cabinet minister Erin O’Toole officially exploring leadership bid for federal Conservatives Back to video

It’s believed O’Toole, 43, will formally announce in the coming weeks a leadership bid that is already garnering backing from several Conservative parliamentarians across Canada.

O’Toole, MP for the Greater Toronto Area riding of Durham, served as veterans affairs minister in the late stages of Stephen Harper’s government and is seen as having widespread appeal to MPs in caucus and Conservative party members.

“I believe the future of our party is bright. We do not need a new leader to fix us, because we are not broken. We do not need a leader to unite us, because we are not divided,” O’Toole says in the letter to Ambrose, a copy of which was obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.