By Rachael Harder

An exciting time in the big blue tent

Jun 21, 2017 | 10:55 AM

LETHBRIDGE – With Andrew Scheer elected as the new permanent leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, it’s an exciting time to be a Conservative! Our leadership convention in Toronto came down to a nail-biting finish, with Scheer overtaking Maxime Bernier by a narrow, but decisive margin.

This leadership race presented a critical choice for our party, and I believe the grassroots members made an excellent decision! Scheer has a proven track record that shows him as someone who leads with integrity and optimism.  

As a caucus, we are united, strong, and energized, and as the Official Opposition, we will continue to stand up for ordinary Canadians. At our first caucus meeting with our new leader, Scheer made it very clear that we will not be a party of elites.

“The Liberals can take their cues from the cocktail circuit,” he said, “we will take ours from the minivans, from soccer fields, the legion halls, and the grocery stores.”

And who better to accurately represent and take a stand for everyday Canadians than Andrew Scheer? As a 38-year-old father of five, and loving husband to Jill, he understands the pressures of providing for a family, maintaining a household budget, and driving kids to sports practices and piano recitals. Scheer is just as comfortable at a CFL game, burger in hand, as he is facing off against the Liberals in the House of Commons.

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I believe every Canadian will benefit from the solid conservative policies being championed by Scheer—policies such as fiscal prudence, balanced budgets, tax cuts, defending our resource sector, guarding free speech and taking a stand for our men and women in uniform.  When it comes to the carbon tax, Scheer has promised not only to cancel this cash grab, but to go one step further by repealing GST on home heating.

Carbon emissions, once they’re in the air, don’t respect national boundaries. Canada produces less than 2% of the world’s greenhouse gasses, yet Canadians are being penalized as if they’re somehow responsible for emissions from other countries. With emerging economies relying on some of the dirtiest fossil fuels to power their countries, Scheer understands the solution is innovation– not taxation.

The Liberals are about halfway through their mandate, and so far things haven’t gone very well for them. During this time they have broken one campaign promise after another (think electoral reform and massive deficits with no plan to pay them off), they have saddled the rising generation with a massive debt load, they have put forward divisive and destructive energy policies, and have proven that they are more concerned with the Prime Minister’s image, than working hard to serve the well-being of regular Canadians.

It was stated in a report from Trudeau’s own Finance department, that the Liberal government is “putting Canada’s finances on shaky ground.” The truth is, my generation and the generation coming after us, can’t afford this government.

As we diligently work toward winning the 2019 election, the Conservative caucus will remain united, strong and energized. We will continue to listen to those at coffee shops, those caring for an ailing loved one, those driving their children to sports games, those at the office, and those who work in the field.

We will continue to work hard to earn the trust of Canadians from coast to coast to coast and as we do so, we will maintain the big blue tent, where there is space for a diversity of views and lively conversation, provided we are respectful of one another.

This is our party. We can’t wait for 2019!