Former Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole’s actions show that he knew that publicly courting the far-right damaged his image as the measured, thoughtful conservative that he was trying to cultivate. The next Conservative leader may not follow O’Toole’s lead in distancing themselves from more extremist elements, and that’s what the far-right base is counting on.

What we are sorely lacking in Canada is a left wing critique of firearms discourse. This would include a centering of the far-right motivations of those who commit mass shootings, the undeniable link between gun violence and misogyny, and the failure of the police—as evidenced by the Nova Scotia shooting—to protect civilians from those wielding deadly weapons while simultaneously claiming a monopoly on their use.