Scheer gears up for likely election, his first after stepping down as Conservative leader

The next federal election is going to be a big change of pace for Andrew Scheer.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to ask the governor general to dissolve parliament on Sunday and trigger an election.

Scheer, the MP for Regina-Qu’Appelle, will be running for the first time since he stepped down as the leader of the Conservative Party.

In an interview with 980 CJME, he said it’s going to feel very different to take a step back and focus more on his riding.

“Slightly shorter distances to travel,” he said with a laugh. “It’s great for me. It allows me to reconnect with the communities that I represent, and far fewer nights away from home. Spending virtually every night away from the family last time was tough…I’m looking forward to a more localized campaign this time.”

While Erin O’Toole will be taking Scheer’s spot on the debate stage as the new Conservative leader, he’s still weighing in on national issues and believes he has a part to play in the Conservatives’ performance nation-wide.

“I’m optimistic and I’ll certainly be doing everything I can to support the team here in Saskatchewan and across the country,” he said.

As for this likely election, Scheer isn’t happy about Trudeau’s timing.

“I believe he’s hoping that Canadians are still focused on the aftermath of COVID and those who are still going through it, depending on the province. I think he’s hoping that people are going to be more focused on that than his scandals, his failures and his corruption,” he said.

He believes Trudeau is gunning for a majority, but still thinks there’s a chance for his party to gain some ground.

“Everywhere I go, people say ‘We (have) to get rid of Justin Trudeau.’ So, this is an opportunity for the Conservative Party to connect with Canadians and offer an alternative,” he asserted.

As for how he thinks they’ll do, it’s a bit of a different story between his home province and the rest of the country.

“I’m confident that people in this province will recognize that only the Conservative Party is on Saskatchewan’s side and fighting for Saskatchewan, but I don’t take anything for granted. We’re going to go out every day and knock doors and earn that trust and respect from voters,” he said.

He’s optimistic about how the party will perform on a national level, saying he believes O’Toole has a lot of appeal to voters in Ontario, but he thinks there’s more work to be done in that area.