Scheer Wins

Andrew Scheer has won the election as leader of the federal Conservative Party, thankfully and rather surprisingly narrowly edging out front-runner Maxime Bernier, who would have been another bland pseudo-conservative disaster, stumbling around from one policy to the next (hello, Mr. Patrick ‘who am I and what do I stand for?’ Brown).

Mr. Scheer, a practising Roman Catholic, father of five, who has a perfect voting record on life issues, promises hope for the future, pledging to unite ‘fiscal’ and ‘social’ conservatives.  However, as many readers will know, he has has also stirred controversy for promising not to raise the abortion issue, and made an ambiguous comment the other day also promising to encourage MP’s not to raise any issues that may divide the party, a statement that fellow candidate Pierre Lemieux asked him to clarify.

Here is the full text as forwarded by Mr. Lemieux:

Andrew Scheer was asked whether he would allow MPs to introduce legislation about life issues or other topics that may be of concern to social conservatives.  Mr. Scheer’s response was reported as follows:

“It is the leader’s job to encourage people to bring up issues that unite us rather than divide us.”

Scheer won’t say if he would forbid MPs from bringing forward such bills, calling the question “hypothetical”. MPs should “work together as a team” and put forward policies that “have a chance of actually succeeding,” he says.

As Pierre Lemieux concludes,

This appears to directly contradict assurances that as leader Andrew Scheer would allow MPs to introduce pro-life legislation.

We will see what the future holds, as the Conservatives plan for the 2019 election, which seems aeons away at this point, as we trudge along under the burdensome antics of Justin Trudeau.

I would not mind a more viable alternative, which I hope Mr. Scheer offers.  However, as things now stand, the Conservatives hold no official stance on marriage, nor abortion.  In fact, Article 64 of their own Policy Declaration states:

The Conservative party will not support any legislation to regulate abortion.

Contrast this to the Republican Party in the United States, which is officially pro-life and contra-same-sex ‘marriage’.

We can hope that Mr. Scheer decides to re-write the Conservative Constitution, or at least act contrary to this anemic, complaisant and rather pathetic principle, so that we have something to vote for in 2019 other than liberal lite, a softer tinge of red, coloured with a bit of fiscal conservatism.

My own hope in politics is fading faster than a Rocky Mountain sunset, but, as we all know in these days leading to Pentecost, the Holy Spirit can work wonders.

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