OTTAWA — One-time and possible future leadership contender Peter MacKay says the “stinking albatross” of Andrew Scheer’s social conservative values cost the Conservatives the election.
He offered the devastating critique of Scheer’s campaign performance during a panel discussion Wednesday hosted by the Wilson Center in Washington.
“To use a good Canadian analogy, it was like having a breakaway on an open net and missing the net,” MacKay said.
An increasing number of Conservatives, disappointed that Scheer was unable to defeat the Trudeau Liberals, have begun openly calling for him to resign and make way for a new leader who can expand the party’s base and gain more traction in Ontario and Quebec. MacKay — who briefly led the Progressive Conservatives before they merged with the Canadian Alliance to form today’s Conservative party — is prominent among those named as a potential successor.
Until now, the former cabinet minister has played down talk of a future leadership bid, insisting that he’s fully supportive of Scheer.
But MacKay was blunt Wednesday in laying the blame for last week’s loss on Scheer’s inability to reassure Canadians that he wouldn’t impose his own religious and social conservative values on the country. And that left Scheer unable to take advantage of the Liberals’ vulnerability, despite a “litany” of controversies dogging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“What went wrong? Well, I’m going to be very honest with you,” MacKay said.
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See Also:
(1) Forget Scheer – it’s Trudeau who should be in the hot seat
(2) Trudeau’s election win came with an assist from Big Labour
(3) What has become of Canadian conservatism?
(4) What can Andrew Scheer learn from Stephen Harper?
(5) Liberals have a lot of nerve advising Conservatives to boot out Andrew Scheer
(6) Comments on Scheer campaign ‘shortcomings’ meant to be constructive: MacKay
