聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 On March 4 I had the chance to trade in my usual golf shirt for my suit and tie to attend one of those political events that happens now and again.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This time, the man of the hour was Andrew Scheer, Member of Parliament for Regina Qu鈥橝ppelle and former speaker of the House of Commons.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He was one of 14 candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, a horribly muddled race if there ever was one. Scheer was also something of a front-runner, as much as one can be in a race of 14.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 At the time, Kevin O鈥橪eary was sucking most of the oxygen out of the metaphorical room in this leadership race, and Maxime Bernier of Quebec was also one of the top dogs. So even though he had the highest number of endorsements from sitting members of Parliament, Scheer was not exactly running away with this race.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Even so, I was somewhat astonished at the low turnout of the local Conservative crowd when Scheer came to speak in Estevan. I鈥檝e seen the Beefeater Plaza filled with at least 200 people, and possibly more, for similar events. I鈥檓 pretty sure Brad Wall packed the place a few years ago. Yet only 105 people attended on this day.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Let me be clear 鈥� the Estevan area is about as Conservative as you can get, both federally and provincially. (Anyone who thinks there鈥檚 much difference between the two needs to give their head a shake. All the same people attend the federal and provincial functions, be it Conservative or Sask. Party.)
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In the 2016 provincial election, Sask Party candidate Lori Carr took 78.9 per cent of the vote. Dr. Robert Kitchen, for the federal Conservatives in Souris-Moose Mountain in 2015, got 70.1 per cent.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Perhaps many thought the race was going to go to O鈥橪eary or Bernier, and who was this guy from Regina, anyhow? What, truly, are the chances of a Saskatchewan candidate, anyhow? We haven鈥檛 had a hope in leadership of the Conservatives since Dief the Chief. Besides, he鈥檚 originally from Ottawa!
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Maybe that鈥檚 why so many stayed home. But I鈥檓 betting a lot of them are kicking themselves now, as their chance to meet and speak to the new leader of the Conservative Party of Canada was squandered.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So what did they miss? Not a barnburner, that鈥檚 for sure. Scheer is a good speaker, but he鈥檚 not one to thunder from the pulpit. I didn鈥檛 detect anyone getting goosebumps on the back of his or her neck. The applause was not raucous by any means. It was a good speech, but I would not call it a great speech. He did not capture the crowd, like Wall typically does. Indeed, he often spoke very highly of Wall.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I鈥檝e seen people come out of similar presentations by Roy Romanow, Lorne Calvert, Stockwell Day, and Brad Wall excited and invigorated, ready to take on the world, to follow their leader through thick and thin. 鈥淗ell ya!鈥� you could almost hear them thinking. They were pumped.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I don鈥檛 think I saw that on March 4, with Andrew Scheer. What does that say about the Conservatives鈥� new choice for leader? Is that why it took 13 ballots for him to win?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Maybe it鈥檚 because people get more fired up when they鈥檙e against something than when they鈥檙e for it. Scheer鈥檚 message is a positive one.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He said in Estevan, 鈥淚 believe it鈥檚 because we failed to deliver and articulate a positive message for what Conservative policies can do for this country. We spent a lot of time focusing on why people shouldn鈥檛 vote Liberal, but we didn鈥檛 do a good enough job encouraging people and convincing people that voting Conservative would actually mean a better four years for them than voting Liberal.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he key to winning in 2019 is not to change who we are; sell things we don鈥檛 believe in or promise things that we know won鈥檛 work. We do need a leader that can articulate a positive vision for our country and reach a broader audience of Canadians.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Andrew Scheer is now that leader, and now he has a few years to articulate that vision. Young, smart, affable and, most importantly, fluently bilingual, he鈥檚 got a lot of the qualities that helped catapult Justin Trudeau to power. And he鈥檚 even got good hair, too.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But that鈥檚 where the similarities end. Scheer wants Canada to live within its means. Too bad more people didn鈥檛 come out to hear that a few months ago.
