Toronto, Feb 2 (AP) The leader of Canada's Conservative party has been ousted after a vote by his party's lawmakers.

It is third main political rival Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has helped bring down.

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Party lawmakers voted 73 to 45 on Wednesday to remove Erin O'Toole, who angered some by trying to move the Conservative party more toward the centre.

O'Toole's removal has big implications for the conservative movement in Canada. With him gone, the party could swing back further right.

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O'Toole advertised himself more than a year ago as a “true-blue Conservative”. He became Conservative Party leader with a pledge to “take back Canada”, but immediately started working to push the party toward the political centre. He lost the federal election last fall.

O'Toole's strategy, which included disavowing positions held dear by his party's base on climate change, guns and balanced budgets, was designed to appeal to a broader cross section of voters in a country that tends to be far more liberal than the United States. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)