Failed transitions from provincial to federal politics are common
Pressed this weekend to say whether he would run federally if he failed to become national NDP leader next fall, Ontario MPP Jagmeet Singh was studiously noncommittal. “I will continue to fight in the provincial level. I’ll continue to fight in other provinces. I’ll continue to fight on the federal level, as I have done […]
Liberals won’t retract their claws
OAKVILLE, ONT.—With his genial smile, cherubic face, and pleasant personality, it’s easy to think that newly elected Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer is genuinely likeable. Of course, anyone who does think that way about Scheer hasn’t been paying much attention to the Liberal Party’s propaganda machine. After all, that machine has been in overdrive lately, […]
Top Conservatives brief caucus on Scheer’s leadership vote numbers, MPs say they’re now satisfied, Bernier didn’t ask any questions
Conservative MPs say last week’s potentially explosive controversy around newly elected leader Andrew Scheer’s leadership vote numbers is no longer a problem after two top Conservatives briefed the national Conservative caucus on June 7. Conservative MPs also say Dustin Van Vugt, executive director of the Conservative Party, and Derek Vanstone, deputy chief returning officer for […]
Political consequences of interim measures: B.C. election, Kinder-Morgan Pipeline and federal environmental assessment reform
TORONTO—One of the defining features of former prime minister Stephen Harper’s approach to environmental matters was the dramatic streamlining of the federal environmental review and approval processes for energy and other resource projects through his 2012 budget implementation legislation, Bill C-38. The rewriting of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, and the other changes contained in […]
Scheer campaign aides taking senior roles in Conservative OLO, though most of old team remains
With Andrew Scheer now leader of the official opposition Conservative Party, a big question mark is hovering over staffing in the OLO and the Conservative Research Group, but some members of his leadership campaign team had already moved into the OLO last week. Mr. Scheer was elected the new Conservative Party leader in Toronto on May 27, in a […]
Handling Conservative caucus Scheer’s ‘key battleground for party unity’: Pollster Lyle
New Conservative leader Andrew Scheer is expected to wait until some time after the House has risen for the summer before announcing his shadow cabinet, and how he handles this and other caucus issues stand to be a major test of his ability to instil party unity. “He’s approaching the transition as he should, very […]
Scheer’s social conservatism obvious target, but Liberals to lay off new leader at onset: insiders
Liberal Party veterans say new Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s reputation as a social conservative is an obvious target for politicking from the Justin Trudeau government, but some say the party in power is likely to avoid being overly aggressive against the new leader for the time-being. Reasons include not being sure, exactly, what direction Mr. […]
‘Surprise’ support for social conservatives Trost, Lemieux helped secure Scheer’s leadership win
Despite flying under the radar in the packed Conservative leadership race, Conservative MP Brad Trost and former MP Pierre Lemieux—both social conservatives—placed fourth and sixth, respectively, on the first ballot, and ultimately helped propel new leader Andrew Scheer to victory. “There were two audible gasps in the room,” said Michelle Austin, former Conservative staffer and […]
Tories get leader, but not big tent party needs
TORONTO—Connect the dots that led to Andrew Scheer’s narrow Conservative leadership victory and what you have is a triumph of retail politics over big ideas. Stephen Harper’s Conservatives lived and eventually died on the battlefield of boutique policies tailored to specific segments of the electorate. Those same dynamics ultimately determined the outcome of the former […]
Nice guys can finish first in this era of Canadian politics
OTTAWA—The Conservative leadership race is finally done and, true to form, in this marathon contest the ending was not as predicted in the closing weeks. There were lots of suggestions that Maxime Bernier was going to win. Instead the victory went to Andrew Scheer. While the opponents of the Conservatives run the predictable attack that […]
