Who is Erin O’Toole, the latest Tory leadership candidate

[Erin O’Toole, the former minister of veterans affairs, announced his bid for the Conservative Party leadership on Friday. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press]

Erin O’Toole is no stranger to turbulence — up in the air in a helicopter or in the political arena.

He was first elected to the House of Commons in the Ontario riding of Durham in a 2012 byelection, replacing former cabinet minister Bev Oda, who left after an expense scandal. In Ottawa, O’Toole was appointed parliamentary secretary to International Trade Minister Ed Fast.

Montreal-born O’Toole was raised in the Bowmanville and Port Perry areas of Southern Ontario, the oldest of five children.

He joined the Canadian Forces straight out of high school, enrolling at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont. and graduating in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts.

Commissioned as an officer with the air force, his first posting was with 8 Wing in Trenton, Ont., focusing on search and rescue. He then went on to complete training as an air navigator in Winnipeg and was then posted to 12 Wing in Shearwater, N.S. He flew with the Royal Canadian Navy and afterwards, served aboard the frigate HMCS St. John’s.

Finishing his service in 2000, O’Toole geared himself towards a landlocked career— studying law at Dalhousie University, and graduating in 2003.

His legal career landed him in corporate settings dealing with issues of insolvency, litigation and energy regulation. He also worked for a manufacturing company as in-house legal counsel for five years.

Within three years of arriving in Parliament, O’Toole was handed the Veterans Affairs posting by then-PM Stephen Harper at a time when issues between veterans and the Tory government were heating up.

O’Toole — who has been a long-time member of Branch 178 of the Royal Canadian Legion — had to face growing and loud criticism from advocates and veterans concerning the Harper administration’s cuts to services for veterans.

In 2014, nine regional offices serving veterans were closed despite a chorus of protests to then-Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino. Later the same year, an auditor’s report said one in five ex-soldiers needing mental health care had to wait up to eight months for their application to be reviewed.

Just after his appointment in January 2015, O’Toole announced in his first major speech the department would be “veteran-centric,” the CBC reported.

“The veteran has to be at the centre of everything we do and their family,” he said.

“I want to create an informed and respectful dialogue about the opportunities and challenges facing our veterans.“

This is the Ontario politician’s second run at leadership as he sought interim leadership of the party after last fall’s federal election but lost out to Rona Ambrose.

The MP lives in Courtice, Ont., 60 km east of Toronto, with his wife Rebecca and their children Mollie and Jack.

The current candidates in the Conservative leadership race are MPs Maxime Bernier, Andrew Scheer, Kellie Leitch, Michael Chong, Deepak Obhrai and Brad Trost.

MP Chris Alexander has made it clear in media reports that he intends to run.

The first leadership debate is to take place Nov. 10 in Saskatoon.

Conservatives will elect their new leader next May 27.

With files from The Canadian Press