IS THE END NIGH? — Multiple sources told multiple outlets late Monday — a landmark evening for unnamed sources — that a rebel alliance has recruited enough MPs to force a vote on ERIN O'TOOLE's command of caucus. Thirty-five Tories signed a letter to call the question on O'Toole's leadership — and possibly oust him as early as Wednesday. As Ottawa wakes up today, the Tory leader is fighting for his political life. — The late-night rally: At the (literal) eleventh hour Monday, O'Toole posted a response on Facebook. He acknowledged the letter and pledged to fight on. "I’m not going anywhere and I’m not turning back. Canada needs us to be united and serious! It’s time for a reckoning. To settle this in caucus. Right here. Right now. Once and for all. Anger vs. Optimism. That is the choice in simple terms. I will accept the result of this vote. The signers of this letter must accept it, too. They brought it. They’ll have to live with it." — Regular programming: O'Toole's Monday routine wasn't out of the ordinary. He sounded passionate in question period. He offered a polished appeal for national unity on an afternoon Facebook Live. He delivered a cutting critique of the government's Ukraine strategy during an evening debate in the Commons. Those rhetorical turns might have been one of his last chances to prove to skeptical colleagues that he still has the stuff to helm the Tories. The Monday revelations might have surprised even O'Toole's inner circle. The Globe and Mail's BOB FIFE and MARIEKE WALSH reported the leader's office was unaware of the letter that could spell the end of his political career before it was publicized. — O'Toole's spin: CBC's TRAVIS DHANRAJ has a source close to the current leader blaming the "coup" on Alberta MP GARNETT GENUIS . That source traced the foofaraw's origin to December's unanimous consent to ban conversion therapy, which reportedly riled a faction of Tories. The source even had a catchy name for the rebels: the conversion crew. Dhanraj's source claims formerly ousted leader ANDREW SCHEER wants to be interim leader. Scheer soon snuffed out that rumor. — Genuis responds: The Edmonton MP who supported O'Toole's leadership campaign accused his leader of a "smear" that misstated his position on conversion therapy. "This is the kind of division that is tearing at our party and it must come to an end," he tweeted Monday night. "We need leadership that unites instead of divides." — Who has the votes? Yet more unnamed sources blabbed to CBC's J.P. TASKER that O'Toole's detractors have the votes to oust him. At least 60 have signed on, they say. That's slightly more than half of the Tory's 119-member caucus. — The face of dissent: For months, B.C. MP MARK STRAHL 's name has floated around as rebel commander — a role familiar to Strahl's father, Chuck, who once led a caucus revolt against former Canadian Alliance leader STOCKWELL DAY. But Strahl wasn't the headliner on Monday. That honor fell to BOB BENZEN, another former O'Toole ally who tweeted his support for the leadership challenge. — Benzen's case for revolt: "I believe the Conservative caucus has given Mr. O’Toole more than enough chances for a course correction to resolve the concerns of many grassroots members of the party. In consideration of Mr. O’Toole’s record of leader, I believe a caucus leadership review is the only way to avoid a dangerous split in the Conservative Party that may not be repairable." — And another thing: Right-leaning columnists pointed to another of Benzen's grievances relevant in the context of the raucous weekend protests: “Failure to clearly stand up for the Charter rights of Canadians during the pandemic.” — Rip off the Band-Aid: One MP framed the internecine fight for Global's ALEX BOUTILIER: "This isn’t about leadership anymore. It’s a fracture in the party." — The kicker: Hours before all of this went down, Tory HQ boasted about its 2021 fundraising numbers . "One of our best years ever," went the tweet. "But more importantly, we are financially able and ready for an election at any time!" What went unsaid? The post-election haul was the worst in a decade. ( h/t DAVID AKIN) TRUDEAU VS. O'TOOLE — Three days into the anti-Covid mandates protest at the foot of the Hill, at basically the first opportunity, things got personal between the prime minister and the leader of the Official Opposition. JUSTIN TRUDEAU filtered the tension on Ottawa's streets through his political Rube Goldberg machine, and landed on a predictable target. — The first salvo: At a 12 o'clock presser, Trudeau fired a warning shot at any elected people who stood alongside protesters over the weekend. "To the politicians exploiting people’s fears, I ask you to think long and hard about the consequences of your actions," he said. Later, CBC reporter TOM PARRY asked Trudeau who he was talking about. Guess who? "I think Erin O'Toole is going to need to reflect very carefully on how he’s walking a path that supports these people who do not represent truckers, let alone the vast majority of Canadians," he said. THE NEW AGENDA — If anything's going to actually get done in Parliament amid the heated rhetoric, it'll be because Government House Leader MARK HOLLAND — whose job was to deflect PIERRE POILIEVRE and CANDICE BERGEN's question period attacks — can salvage rosier relations with his fellow House leaders. Holland set the stage Monday for the next 15 weeks of parliamentary business. He foreshadowed a productive session that'll make December's four-week sprint, which was precipitated by a two-month delay recalling the House after the election, look positively rushed. "This is not an exhaustive list, but it gives you a sense of the ambition that we have for this Parliament," Holland told reporters at an afternoon presser. He acknowledged that mandate letters, delivered to Cabinet just before Christmas, contain a plethora of potential legislation that could see the light of day before summer. — Top priority: Holland did rhyme off a long list of forthcoming legislation, including a bill that'll hive off the slice of Finance Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND's fiscal update that secures delivery of rapid tests to the provinces. Bill C-8 will also be on the agenda. That'll enact the rest of the fiscal update, which means an underused housing tax; a ventilation tax credit; expanded tax deductions for northern residents; an expanded school supplies tax credit; a tax credit for fuel charges paid by some farmers; provincial funding for school ventilation and vaccine passports; and tweaks to emergency Covid loan repayment and EI rules for seasonal workers. As ever, the Liberals need a dance partner. Holland appealed to the opposition to carry over December's fuzzy feelings into the new year. The government has had some success passing Covid bills with unanimous consent. C-8 isn't really that.
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