23.09°C Vancouver

Aug 12, 2020 3:34 PM -

Andrew Scheer likely marking last day in House of Commons as Opposition leader

Share On
andrew-scheer-likely-marking-last-day-in-house-of-commons-as-opposition-leader
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer holds a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Today's sitting of Parliament is expected to be the last one that will see Andrew Scheer in the role of Conservative leader.

In addition to being an MP from Regina since 2004, he also served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015.

It was after the Tories lost government in 2015, and the subsequent resignation of then-leader Stephen Harper, that Scheer decided to go for the leadership job.

He won in 2017, eking out a very narrow victory over fellow MP Maxime Bernier.

He spent the next two years trying to gain recognition across the country, while shoring up the party's war chest and policy playbook in order to defeat the Liberal government in the Oct. 2019 election.

But despite the Liberals struggling with several scandals that reduced them to a minority, he failed to outright bring them down.

But the knives came out for Scheer almost immediately after election day.

Among the jabs: party insiders leaked an internal argument over Scheer using party funds to pay for his kids' private religious schooling, a fact unknown to many of the party's executives.

The vote for the Conservative leader is taking place by mail, and all ballots must be back by Aug. 21.

A winner is expected to be announced within days, and very likely before the next sitting of the Commons on Aug. 26.

Latest news

illegal-firearm-smuggling-through-surrey-border-crossing-leads-to-jail-sentence
BCJul 30, 2026

Illegal firearm smuggling through Surrey border crossing leads to jail sentence

A man has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison and prohibited from possessing firearms for 10 years after admitting to smuggling a loaded handgun into Canada through the Surrey border area. According to RCMP Federal Policing Pacific Region Media Relations Officer Cpl. Parmbir Kahlon, the investigation began on Sept. 11, 2025, after the United States Border Patrol notified Canadian authorities that an individual had crossed illegally into Canada near 183 Street and 0 Avenue in Surrey. The RCMP's Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) responded and arrested Jaskaran Banth under th
supreme-court-issues-notice-to-punjab-cm-bhagwant-mann-aap-leaders-in-2020-protest-case
IndiaJul 30, 2026

Supreme Court issues notice to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, AAP leaders in 2020 protest case

The Supreme Court has issued notices to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders on a petition filed by the Chandigarh Administration challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling that quashed a rioting case linked to a 2020 protest against higher electricity tariffs. The notices were issued to Mann, Harpal Singh Cheema, Gurmeet Singh, Meet Hayer, Baljinder Kaur, Aman Arora and others, directing them to respond to the Chandigarh Administration's petition. During the hearing, the Additional Solicitor General argued that the High Court's decision was leg
ihit-identifies-langley-homicide-victim-appeals-for-witnesses-and-dashcam-footage
BCJul 30, 2026

IHIT identifies Langley homicide victim, appeals for witnesses and dashcam footage

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has identified the victim in a Langley homicide investigation as 75-year-old Larry Greig. According to IHIT, the incident began at about 9:50 p.m. on Canada Day, July 1, when Langley RCMP responded to a report of an elderly man in medical distress near Park Avenue and Douglas Crescent. IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Freda Fong said Greig had just left a local pub when he became involved in a physical altercation with another person. He suffered serious injuries in the incident and died in hospital on July 9. As part of the ongoing investigation, IHIT h
CanadaJul 30, 2026

Canada–U.S. trade tensions deepen as major American unions urge review of proposed tariffs

Two of the largest private-sector labour unions in the United States are calling for a return to stable and balanced trade relations with Canada amid ongoing trade tensions between Ottawa and Washington. The United Steelworkers (USW) and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) have opposed proposed new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. According to a joint letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the unions urged the White House to reconsider the proposed tariffs, arguing that Canada and the United States have long shared one of the world's closest
westjet-flight-attendants-issue-72-hour-strike-notice-as-labour-talks-continue
CanadaJul 30, 2026

WestJet flight attendants issue 72-hour strike notice as labour talks continue

WestJet's union representing approximately 4,400 flight attendants has issued a 72-hour strike notice, raising the possibility of a walkout beginning Sunday if a new collective agreement is not reached. In response, the airline has served the union with a lockout notice. According to the union, the key issues in the dispute include compensation for time spent performing ground duties and wage increases that reflect the rising cost of living. WestJet maintains that flight attendants are fully compensated under its "credit hour" pay system rather than through a traditional hourly wage model. Neg

Related News