Roundup: Exit Scheer

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The news that blew up all of our days was that of Andrew Scheer’s sudden resignation as leader, despite having stated for nearly two months that he planned to stay on and fight the next election. As this news broke, so did the news that party funds were being used to finance his children’s private school education, and throughout the day there was a lot of back-and-forth as to just who in the party knew about it, and it sounds increasingly like Stephen Harper, the Conservative Fund’s chair, was mighty upset when he learned about it. Oops. Nevertheless, Scheer went before the House of Commons and talked about how this was all about needing to spend more time with his family, and he spun a tale about how he realized he barely knew his teenaged son, and Justin Trudeau and others were very gracious and classy, and offered more humanity to Scheer than he managed to in his time as leader. The caucus also voted to let Scheer stay on as interim leader until his replacement is chosen, but considering how well that went for the NDP, with the embittered Thomas Mulcair poisoning the well, well, you’d think they would know better.

While the group calling itself Conservative Victory that were organizing to pressure Scheer to resign has declared victory, we now begin with all of the breathless speculation as to who will run to replace Scheer, and you can bet that most of the usual names – Raitt, Ambrose, Kenney – won’t. The Star runs through the probable names and their chances of actually running.

And, of course, come all of the hot takes. Justin Ling declares this the end of Scheer’s reign of incompetence. Andrew Coyne notes that Scheer’s departure won’t solve the party’s bigger problems. Matt Gurney makes the point that the party really can’t choose a new leader until they learn the lessons from the last election. Susan Delacourt explores the parallels between Scheer’s departure and that of Joe Clark after his election loss in 1979. Paul Wells gives a fair accounting of Scheer’s self-inflicted wounds, and the huge challenge the party faces in trying to find a leader that will unify the party’s various factions. Robert Hiltz gives his not-so-fond farewell to Scheer with his trademarked acerbic style. My own column on Scheer’s demise looks at how he turned politics into a house of lies, and why his successor will need to rectify that mistake.

Good reads:

  • The government unveiled their list of parliamentary secretaries yesterday – not quite as many as feared, and several are keeping their posts from last parliament.
  • A recent study disputes that Trump is the cause of the surge in asylum seekers crossing the Canadian border irregularly.
  • A number of braille signs on Parliament Hill are flat and unusable for the blind – but were apparently supposed to only be temporary, and are being replaced.
  • The Royal Canadian Mint fell victim to a spear-phishing scam, but was fortunately not out any money as a result.
  • Gerald Butts tells Canadaland about the Globe and Mail lobbying the PMO for innovation funds, including during an editorial board meeting.
  • Senator Serge Joyal has tabled a bill that would empower the NCC to limit development near Parliament Hill and national historic sites.
  • During QP, Liberal MP Jaime Battiste asked a question in Mi’kmaw, for the first time in the House of Commons.
  • Jody Wilson-Raybould is refusing to move from her designated ministerial offices on Parliament Hill, in clear violation of the way in which offices are allocated.
  • It turns out that ethics laws forbid Jane Philpott from taking a paid role with an Ontario First Nation, as she was the minister responsible for the file.
  • The Quebec Court of Appeal has denied a stay against Bill 21. The court case on the substance of the legislation is ongoing.
  • While making small talk during his California visit, François Legault stated that all French Canadians are Catholics, and hoo boy.
  • The Canadian Press’ Baloney Meter™ tests Scheer’s clam that this government has the “weakest mandate in Canadian history,” and it makes my head hurt.
  • Heather Scoffield looks at the Bank of Canada Governor’s warnings about losing the benefits of globalization.

Odds and ends:

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3 thoughts on “Roundup: Exit Scheer”

  2. The conservatives, what name can one call them,? reformacons, the right, perhaps a “party of the wrong” the policyless polyglot, will twist themselves into pretzels trying to find a cohesion of sorts that Canadians will find forward enough or palliative enough vote for in the next election. Then they have to find a messiah who can run on a nebulous combo of outdated, stale party planks. By all account the names of possible candidates on a recent press list are a group of cronies and failed politicians with no vision for our future well documented by their past performances.

  3. Dale, the Star article lists Rona’s chances of running as “fair.” Does that mean no truth to the rumors about the U.S. ambassador post? What are the chances she actually wins a leadership race? If she did, does that mean Trudeau would relinquish the leadership to Freeland prior to the next election, so that the Liberals would “refresh” themselves and stand a better chance of winning against an ostensibly moderate female? It already looks like he’s clearing the runway rather quickly for her…

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