Will he be able to take on Justin Trudeau?

In a major surprise, Andrew Scheer has managed the odd and has thus become the new leader of the Conservative Party. Pollsters had predicted Maxime Bernier to win and the news of Andrew Scheer winning the conservative leadership bid  was presented with not only surprise, but also with pun. “Andrew Who?” said a front-page headline in Toronto Star, replicating prevalent amaze at the outcome. Soon there was a race to dig out more information about Scheer and social media was active sharing details and even comparing him with Maxime Bernier.  “Scheer is a family man with five children,” a big contrast to the handsome bachelor Bernier.  One of the stories trending on the net was nicely titled, “Andrew Scheer is Stephen Harper with dimples”.

He has been a politician with an acumen-being a Member of Parliament from Regina-Qu’Appelle Saskatchewan, a former speaker of the House of Common, managed to overcome the front runner Maxime Bernier.  Maxime Bernier considered as the front runner in the leadership campaign, won every ballot except the last one. Andrew Scheer got started in politics working in a low-level job in party’s office. In 2004, he contested and pulled off an upset against veteran NDP star Lorne Nystrom. No one would have predicted then that 13 years later Scheer would become leader of the party.

The contest was close. The low-profile 38-year was elected leader after 13 ballots, beating ex-foreign minister Maxime Bernier by just two percentage points. Former Immigration minister Jason Kenney described Scheer as “truly one of the nicest, most decent, and genuine people I know.” With those positive comments coming from none other influential Conservative leader Jason Kenney, gives an indication that party leaders are rallying behind Scheer. During his leadership bid, Andrew Scheer made his presence felt to the delegates as a strong opponent of abortion, equal marriage, Trans rights and euthanasia. He had voted against Bill C-16, which adds “gender expression or identity” as a protected ground to the Canadian Human Rights Act. During his victory speech, he took on the Liberals.  Calling it a “cash grab” and a “job killer”,  Scheer took direct aim at the federal carbon tax legislation and Liberal Party’s plans to put in effect starting next year.  Leading a party that has lot of heavy weights to handle, Young, little inexperienced are some of the tags that Scheer would not to like to get known for. He will have to remind his critics through his actions and acumen that when he first sought federal political office in 2004, he beat out the NDP candidate who at the time was the longest serving MP in the House of Commons. In 2011,  his Conservative party won its first majority government and Scheer, then only 32, his party reposed faith in him to have him as the Speaker of the House of Commons, the youngest person ever to hold the  post. Born in Ottawa but having spent his adult life on the Prairies, Scheer was a candidate of the West and central Canada. He is fluently bilingual and would expect Quebecers to accept him as the other Canadians would.

He brings to the party no baggage of Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s era. He must prepare himself and the party for the task that comes in the form of elections in October 2019. He must unite a divided party as he prepares to take on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau whose ratings are going up, and also take on National Democratic Party, that has begun to emerge as a formidable opposition.  Andrew Scheer will have to broaden party’s popular reach. It was a cake walk for him to get the leadership of the Conservative Party. Taking on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not be that easy.