Scheer's leadership safe for now after Conservative caucus vote
Caucus vote means Scheer won't face a leadership challenge before April's party convention
Peter Zimonjic · CBC News · Posted: Nov 06, 2019 5:00 PM ET | Last Updated: November 6
Conservative caucus members attending a post-election meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday voted against deploying a provision in federal law that would have allowed them to begin the process of ousting Andrew Scheer as party leader.
The Reform Act, introduced by Conservative MP Michael Chong and passed into law in 2015, also gives caucus members the power to elect a new caucus chair, expel and readmit caucus members and elect an interim leader.
The vote — which wasn't close, according to a source — means Scheer is unlikely to face a challenge to his leadership before the party's convention in April.
Scheer met with his caucus colleagues today to listen to their concerns about the federal election and explain why he thinks his party failed to win.
"We had a frank discussion about the last election campaign. While we won more seats, won the most votes and elected the largest Official Opposition in Canadian history, much more was expected," Scheer said after emerging from nearly seven hours of closed-doors talks with his caucus.
"Nobody is more disappointed in the results than me and nobody is more eager to get it right the next time," he added.
Scheer said that, as leader of the Official Opposition, he'll push for measures in the coming Parliament to maintain national unity, restore "ethics and accountability" to government and help the struggling energy sector.
