BREAKING: O'Toole advocates for boycotting Beijing Olympics over country's decision to put Canadian to death

Conservative Party Leader Erin O'Toole said during a press conference on Tuesday that Canada should seriously consider boycotting the 2022 Beijing Olympics over China's decision to uphold the death sentence for Canadian Robert Schellenberg, as well as the continued detention of Canada's two Michaels.

"The denial of Robert Schellenburg's appeals must be seen as what it is, a foreign government planning to take the life of a Canadian for political reasons," said O'Toole, calling the action "inexcusable."

On Tuesday, Chinese courts rejected Schellenburg's drug conviction appeal of a death sentence. Schellenburg was given the death sentence in a retrial after Canada's detention of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou.

O'Toole said that tensions between Canada and China could see a boiling point that would make it unsafe for Canadian Olympic athletes to travel to China for the event.

"The outcomes of the [two Michaels'] cases will help answer that question," said O'Toole.

O'Toole outlines Canada recovery plan

During that same press conference, O'Toole outlined features of the Conservatives' Canada recover plan.

"Canada’s Recovery Plan will invest in job training opportunities - particularly for skilled trade workers, to better prepare them for the jobs of today and tomorrow," a statement from the Conservatives reads. "...As well as investing in opportunities to bring women and New Canadians into the skilled trades."

Canada’s Conservatives say they will do this by:

• Doubling the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit for the next three years to help create more places for apprentices.
• Investing $250 million over two years to create the Canada Job Training Fund. The Fund will provide grants to organizations including employers, apprenticeship training delivery agents, unions, post-secondary institutions, and community organizations for projects that:
• Give laid-off workers immediate access to training
• Reach out to traditionally underrepresented groups,
• Help tourism and hospitality workers who have been hit hard by the recession,
• Support the talent needs of small businesses, and
• Otherwise help workers get the training they need - focusing on areas where there are shortages of skilled workers.
• Creating the Working Canadian Training Loan to provide low interest loans of up to $10,000 to people who want to upgrade their skills, empowering workers to determine what training they need rather than having the government tell them.

"We depend on our skilled trades workers every day. It’s time the government invested in them to ensure they have the skills they need to secure good jobs." O’Toole said. "Together, we can secure the future."