OTTAWA — The last Conservative leader to be ousted by his party says he’s advised Pierre Poilievre to put the country first and forget the “political machinations” of floor-crossings.

Erin O’Toole was removed as Tory leader in February 2022 after more than half of the caucus voted to replace him.

After last spring’s election, the Conservative caucus voted to ensure it has the power to oust its leader in the same way, if it chooses to.

Poilievre has been watching his polling numbers plummet over the last several months.

A new poll out this week from the Angus Reid Institute suggests that 30 per cent of Conservative voters now think he should be replaced before the next election, almost twice as many as last August.

O’Toole says he’s told Poilievre to forget what’s happening in the short term and focus on ensuring the party has a smart and reasonable set of commitments to put forward.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2026.

Sarah Ritchie and David Baxter, The Canadian Press