00:09:11.980I've created a large list through the campaign, but obviously those emails go to other ridings and I was collecting money from people in other ridings.
00:09:21.380Now, these are people that may not have donated to that other person anyways, but MPs are very cagey about their territory.
00:09:27.660So they're like, well, you know, Derek, you shouldn't be doing this.
00:09:30.360I said, listen, I have to fundraise to, you know, finalize some of my last leadership debts.
00:09:37.140And frankly, for my EDA, I had to raise some money, too, to be able to be, you know, acclaimed as a candidate.
00:09:42.140So those are the those are two of the, quote unquote, you know, bad things that I've done.
00:09:47.000And the third was sponsoring that petition, which, again, a lot of these conservatives are just scared to death of bad press.
00:09:55.400So, you know, these kinds of things, there were some rumblings about, oh, you know, Derek's always getting us in the news.
00:10:00.120It's always something, you know, whatever.
00:10:02.280And then this sort of orchestrated attempt at the end, which, as I said, was related to my strength going into the convention, sort of pushed some people over the edge.
00:10:12.620But nothing has happened along the way that would in any way be inappropriate.
00:10:19.180I've just explained to you any charge that was leveled at me.
00:10:23.960So let me ask you then where you go from here, because you sent out an email to your supporters in which you said, don't rip up your memberships, still be a part of the party, still go to the convention, the virtual convention up.
00:10:36.940Why are you not ripping up your membership at this point?
00:10:39.960Well, listen, I'm still a conservative.
00:10:41.820I may not be technically capital C conservative, according to, you know, the powers that be in Ottawa, but the conservative party has left me.
00:10:51.680I did not leave the conservative party.
00:10:53.920And our membership is a lot more like me than they are like Aaron O'Toole.
00:10:57.900And frankly, I think the only reason he won is because, yeah, I was a new face.
00:11:35.040What many people were concerned about is they were saying, guys, I'm getting calls not just from like the local pro-life dude, but from some of my like most hardcore supporters, board members, donors, and they're livid.
00:11:48.880So this is something that is really going to rip the party.
00:11:53.460You know, it's going to damage the party for certain.
00:11:56.540You and I spoke in the leadership race a couple of times about cancel culture and free speech.
00:12:02.460And you're very aware of the cultural battles around this.
00:12:06.000And one thing that I find really unsettling, even if people are used to just the left throwing around slurs and names and all of that, to have it come from within your own party and within your own movement.
00:12:16.880And especially the justification that Aaron O'Toole used to initiate this process, which was that racism has no place in the party.
00:12:24.500Didn't call you a racist, but was ejecting you in the same breath as he was saying that he needed to take a stand against racism.
00:12:43.780It's been amazing acceptance from grassroots conservatives and continual backbiting and trying to tie my hands behind my back within the MPs that are there.
00:12:55.260So many of these guys think that they're little princes that rule their little riding fiefdom.
00:13:00.540And they can come to Ottawa and do whatever it is that they want.
00:13:19.560Would you rejoin the caucus if invited, if the party had a mea culpa?
00:13:25.160I don't expect that that would happen under the current leadership.
00:13:29.260They're of a mind that they kind of have to show unity, show a face of strength and all that.
00:13:36.100And they wouldn't be able to do that based on what they've done.
00:13:38.900But I'm not making any decisions today about what I might or might not do.
00:13:42.780Just before I let you go here, Derek, what do you want to tell your supporters?
00:13:46.740I know a lot of people, even those who might not have been your supporter in the leadership race, have really come around or are tweeting about their support for you, wanting to go to the convention to stand up for some of the values.
00:13:57.680What do you want to say to those people right now who, by your indication, seem to make up the party more than the voices in Ottawa do?
00:14:04.660Stay involved. Keep your membership. Go to convention.
00:14:08.220And we're going to do a lot of good there.
00:14:11.260And this is just, you know, some rumblings.
00:14:19.660When it comes to me personally, I'm going to stay fighting for all the values I've fought for before.
00:14:24.180Family values, you know, against the Paris Agreement and this climate alarmism, the excessive government lockdowns, which our party has been completely silent on.