The war of words between senator Denise Batters and Conservative leader Erin O’Toole continues in the wake of O’Toole removing Batters from the national caucus after she launched a petition aimed at getting a leadership review performed.

Speaking in Ottawa Wednesday morning, O’Toole defended his move saying people are now allowing their frustrations and their own personal agendas, or issues on the pandemic, to interfere with our progress are not part of the team which is why the decision was made, but really Batters made it herself.

O’Toole also had a message to those thinking about endorsing the petition by saying anyone who is not putting the team and the country first will not be a part of this team.

Batters released a statement Wednesday morning saying if O’Toole is certain that the members of our party support the new direction in which he is taking it, then he should have nothing to fear by facing our members democratically in an expedited confidence vote.