Mr. Scheer, the 38-year-old former Commons Speaker and father of five, received a major boost from social Conservatives, whom he said would have the freedom to speak their minds in his party. He has said his government wouldn’t propose legislation on subjects such as abortion, even though he is against it.
.. Mr. Scheer, unlike Mr. Bernier, supported supply management, the system that regulates prices on dairy and poultry in Canada. Mr. Bernier’s position hurt him in Quebec and was a key part in Mr. Scheer’s success.
.. Mr. Scheer beat Mr. Bernier in the Quebecker’s own riding of Beauce, where there are many farmers, 51.11 per cent to 48.89 per cent.
.. “I will bring us back to balanced budgets and end corporate welfare,” Mr. Scheer said.
.. He called the Liberal carbon tax a “cash grab,” and said he would defend any province that does not impose one.
.. The Campaign Life Coaltion said the results showcased the political strength of “pro-life and pro-family voters.”
“In addition to congratulating Scheer on his victory, we congratulate and thank Brad Trost and Pierre Lemieux who were unapologetic in their pro-life convictions, and made pro-life issues part of their leadership platforms,” Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition, said in a statement.
.. “Every kind of conservative needs to have a home in our party and feel welcomed. Every kind of conservative played an important role in this leadership race,” Mr. Scheer said.
- “We had libertarian conservatives…
- we had social conservatives, yes, but
- we also had fiscal conservatives,
- foreign-policy conservatives,
- democratic-reform conservatives.”
In Andrew Scheer, Conservatives elect Stephen Harper 2.0 – with a smile
“Trudeau’s Liberals are so focused on photo ops, selfies, that they don’t care if their policies hurt, and not help, the middle class. Sunny ways don’t pay the bills.” Mr. Bernier never said it as well.
.. for anyone who believes that grassroots Conservatives are intolerant, poorly educated and out of touch: Saturday night, almost 50 per cent of them voted for a libertarian lawyer from Quebec.
.. Mr. Bernier’s proposed elimination of a federal role in health care, the planned savage spending cuts, his wish to eviscerate the CBC and CRTC, not to mention ending supply management, were too much. He simply could not attract enough second- or third-ballot support through the 13 rounds of voting.
.. a clean race that produced what, for most, will be a satisfying, or at least I-can-live-with-it, outcome. And they will head into the next election with a united front.
.. The social-conservative wing of the party, rallying to anti-abortion candidate Brad Trost, received a solid 14 per cent of the vote. That said, when it became a four-candidate race, he placed last. Socons will continue to demand a louder voice, and they will remain inside the party, but they will not control it.
Michael Chong, who called for a national carbon tax, placed fifth, affirming that the progressive wing of the Conservative Party is very much in eclipse. But he remains a committed Conservative. The PC wing of the party is still inside the tent.