Andrew Scheer doesn't seem to be quite done fighting the election yet
Back in opposition and under pressure in his own party, Scheer suggests that Trudeau was the one who lost
Aaron Wherry· CBC News· Posted: Dec 06, 2019 5:04 PM ET
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer speaks at a news conference the day after he lost the federal election to Justin Trudeau in Regina, October 22, 2019. (Todd Korol/Reuters)
Two men in need of redemption stood across from each other in the House of Commons on Friday.
The first man looked upon the other and declared himself disappointed to see that nothing had changed. The second man rose and made a point of showing that he would be taking a slightly altered approach, at least to this particular moment.
Between these two men — the leader of the Opposition and the prime minister — there's the question of what should change in federal politics in response to the results of the October election.
Through that election, Andrew Scheer argued, "the people sent a clear message to all of us." "That the status quo had failed. That the approach of the previous four years just wasn't good enough," Scheer said. "Canadians want better."
Specifically, he said, Canadians rendered a verdict on the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau. The "talking heads and pundits" might be trying to dissemble the result, Scheer said, but the Liberals had lost seats and votes.
And while Trudeau hinted at changing his approach in the weeks following the election, Scheer said he sees the throne speech as too much of the same-old.
In his response to the throne speech Friday, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer warns that politicians across the country should "not underestimate the deep alienation and anger" being felt by Canadians who live in Saskatchewan and Alberta. 0:43 "Yesterday, in the speech from the throne, [Trudeau] revealed that he hasn't learned a thing, that he hasn't changed at all," he said. "Even though the people of Canada sent a message that they demand better ... They demand a fundamentally new approach from a government that is prepared to rise to this moment in history."
Maybe Canadians did demand a new approach. But they were at least as loud in not demanding a Conservative government led by Andrew Scheer. Which is where the glaring irony in Scheer's analysis lies.
Justin Trudeau's party won 157 seats. Scheer insists that Trudeau must change his approach to government and his policies, markedly and substantively, as a result.
Scheer's party won 121 seats and Scheer is adamant that he doesn't need to change — except to the extent that his party needs to communicate better and hire better advisers.
Re-litigating October while looking ahead to April
Aside from some artful comments about the honour of occupying a seat in the House of Commons and a new focus on national unity, most of Scheer's remarks resembled a reprise of the fall campaign.
Possibly because the campaign hasn't really ended for Scheer.
"Over the past several weeks, there's been a chorus of voices from elite corners of Canadian high society demanding that our party endorse the carbon tax," Scheer told the House on Friday. "Well, let me be clear, Mr. Speaker, we will always oppose a carbon tax because we know the real cost it imposes on the Canadian people."
Members of the Conservative Party will be asked in April whether they'd like to change leaders. Scheer apparently has decided that his best chance of surviving that vote is to put the onus on Trudeau and acknowledge his own need for change as little as possible — particularly when it comes to climate policy.
That sort of obstinacy on the major policy issue of the day could doom the Conservative leader in the next general election. That assumes, of course, that Scheer will still be the Conservative leader in May.
Has Trudeau changed his tune?
Rising to respond to Scheer, Justin Trudeau told the House that his office had written him a speech for this occasion — a "very excellent speech," Trudeau claimed — but he would not be reading it.
The speech had been written a day before, but Trudeau said it was important for MPs to listen to each other and he decided instead to actually listen to what Scheer had to say and respond to what he heard.
"I know that we need a new approach — we all need to take a new approach here — and I appreciate the opportunity to be able to make some remarks rather than simply reading a speech that reiterates everything that we want to do together," Trudeau said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question during Question Period in the House of Commons Friday December 6, 2019 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The decision to eschew the prepared remarks was apparently taken about 20 minutes before Trudeau spoke.
There were no great surprises in what followed, but it was different from the usual Trudeau product — a little less lofty, slightly more direct. Without a script, Trudeau was nimble enough to note that Scheer had neglected to mention Indigenous reconciliation or any area of health policy in his remarks. He pointed to what he called the similarities between the Liberal and Conservative tax cut proposals. And he attempted to parry Scheer's criticism of the federal carbon price.
"If he is serious about reducing people's anxiety about the future, if he was serious about reassuring Canadians in their ability to tackle new challenges and support their families, it would be good if we were able to lay out the actual facts of what our plan for putting a price on pollution means for Canadians across the country," Trudeau said, pointing out that the average family is expected to receive a rebate that exceeds the added cost of the carbon levy.
The performance had something in common with Trudeau's showing at the National Press Theatre two days after the election. In both cases, there seemed to be just a bit less artifice on display.
Between that news conference in October and his appearance in the House on Friday, Trudeau was noticeably less prominent (with the notable exception of that cocktail reception at Buckingham Palace). And his two public forays to date have displayed a different tone.
If Trudeau's style and manner has been grating on some voters, this might be the appropriate response.
Such things may change. But Trudeau's wager might be that his party's election result had less to do with what it set out to do, and more to do with how it went about it — the brutal messes they made when they weren't being careful.
Scheer might complain that Trudeau should be changing a lot more than that. But Trudeau might believe that — at least as long as it's Andrew Scheer standing across from him — he doesn't need to reinvent himself so much as he needs to clean up his act.
Aaron Wherry has covered Parliament Hill since 2007 and has written for Maclean's, the National Post and the Globe and Mail. He is the author of Promise & Peril, a book about Justin Trudeau's years in power.
Helen MacKinnon Andrew seems to think that the louder he rants and the harder he pushes, the stronger he appears. He is wrong.
David Amos Reply to @Helen MacKinnon: Methinks everybody knows that Harper 2.0 became irrelevant as soon as his old buddy MacKay spoke about the election result N'esy Pas?
Ferd Roseboom Reply to @David Amos: He never was relevant. He's the Cons' Michael Ignatieff, someone who just hasn't figured out how to play the game yet, or, as Harper put it, "Just not ready."
Richard Sharp Reply to @Helen MacKinnon: Have to say I’ve been preaching that Harper’s (and now Scheer’s) inherent, incessant nastiness would be their undoing because Canadians get sick of that stuff. And we put up with Don Cherry for decades!
David Amos Reply to @Richard Sharp: Methinks whereas the Bloc rules the roost you don't have much to gloat about today N'esy Pas?
Casey Jay The extreme right in Canada think they can turn this country into a clone of the USA under Trump.
Good luck with that Andy.
Franz Pökler Reply to @Scott Bullerwell: I am. I li vs e in Quebec. When was the last PM from Alberta? Remind me please...
David Amos Reply to @Franz Pökler: Methinks you will say close but no cigar but the lawyer I call Landslide Annie who is a former Deputy Prime Minister from Alberta has been advising Trudeau The Younger since the SNC/Wilson affair and just helped to pick his cabinet and his new Deputy Prime Minister N'esy Pas?
Bill Dixon
Reply to @David Amos: Fergawdsake, can the "N'esy Pas" would you? As I've pointed out before, it doesn't mean anything at all, and is highly annoying.
Alex Shetsen Conservatives are all about two things: fighting to get into power when they're not in, and tossing over the nation when they are.
They are, plainly speaking, obscene.
David Amos
Reply to @Alex Shetsen: Methinks the same should be said of all political gangs N'esy Pas?
Helen MacKinnon Why are all Conservative, Republican leaders so darned unlikeable? do they realize that?
Marguerite Deschamps Reply to @Helen MacKinnon: No they don't.
David Amos
Reply to @Marguerite Deschamps: Methinks your heroes suffer from the same affliction N'esy Pas?
Jack Hill How lucky are we?
We get to witness the last gasping breaths of a dinosaur stuck in the tar sands.
David Amos
Reply to @Jack Hill: Methinks many would agree that Kenney and his cohorts ain't done yet N'esy Pas?
Bill Nest The current Con party is a regional party, much like the Bloc.
Max Power
Reply to @Drew Dangerfield: It was Peter McKay that sold out the Conservative party to the Reformers.
David Amos Reply to @Bill Nest: Please explain why they have so many seats in Parliament
David Amos
Reply to @Max Power: Peter McKay sold out the Progressive Conservative Party and the provincial PC Premiers pretend they are Conservatives after Harper became the boss
Martin Clark LOL Didn't anyone let Scheer know that AB has agreed to a carbon tax. Yup, Kenny and the UCP have reached an agreement with the Fed. Libs. Uh OH, Seems Scheer is still out of the loop. He doesn't know what Canadians want and he doesn't know even know what CONS want! He isn't listening to anyone and he isn't showing any desire to cooperate for the sake of Canada.
David Amos
Reply to @Martin Clark: Methinks you can't tell Scheer anything he don't want to know N'esy Pas?
David Amos Reply to @Malcolm Scott: YUP Methinks the Circus begins again with Kenney being the first clown to seize the spotlight N'esy Pas?
Bill Dixon
Reply to @Martin Clark: Well, it isn't a real carbon tax.
It's based on emissions "intensity". Which means that companies can avoid paying the tax even when their total emissions are increasing, so long as their growth in production is greater than their growth in GHG emissions.
Alberta's oil sands industry has clearly demonstrated that since 2000, with increases in production of more than 400%, and increases in reported GHG emissions of more than 300% (noting of course that all independent assessments of emissions from oil sands and natural gas facilities have concluded that real emissions are much higher than industry estimates that are used as regulatory reporting values).
And yet, despite that reported total GHG emissions from oil sands development have increased by more than 300% since 2000, the Government of Alberta and oil sands companies, lobbyists, and public supporters (most are CPC ex-MPs or UPC/provincial Con MLAs or leaders) all constantly and consistently state publicly that emissions from oil sands have decreased.
Only in the Conservative echo chamber and oil company conference rooms does Alberta's carbon "tax" make any sense.
David Amos
Reply to @Bill Dixon: Methinks a lot of Dominic Leblanc's cohorts who speak Chiac would agree with you N'esy Pas?
Dan Carpenter Scheer said. "Canadians want better." Yes Andy, they wanted better and therefore did not elect you and your antiquated party.
David Amos
Reply to @Dan Carpenter: Nor did we give Trudeau another majority mandate
Paul Bourgoin Andrew Scheer, you should have given it your all during the election Campaign not after! Too Little Too Late!
David Amos
Reply to @Paul Bourgoin: YUP
Stan Smith The conservatives would gain so much by being actually constructive right now. Not pretending. For real. They just don’t have it in them
David Amos
Reply to @Stan Smith: Nor do any of the other political gangs overseeing us
Chris Maurier Scheer is an unapologetic narcissist that blames Trudeau for his loss and has no interest in helping the general public or his own Party.
