On Parliament Hill

As we head into an election year, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce Andrew Scheer, the leader of Canada’s Conservatives.

Andrew was born in Ontario on May 20th, 1979. His mother, Mary, was a nurse and father, James, was a librarian.

Andrew studied history at the University of Ottawa. While he was a student, he also worked part time for, then Opposition Leader, Preston Manning. Andrew finished his degree at the University of Regina where he met his lovely wife Jill (they married in 2003).

After he graduated, Andrew worked in insurance and then went to work for Regina area MP Larry Spencer. He also worked for a time as a waiter.

In 2004, Andrew was first elected to the House of Commons for the riding of Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, defeating, then longest serving Member of Parliament, NDP MP Lorne Nystrom. He was only 25 years old at the time.

In April 2006, Scheer was named Deputy Speaker (one of the youngest Members of Parliament to serve in that role in Commonwealth history). He also sponsored new tough on crime legislation.

When the Conservative Party won a majority government in the 2011 federal election, Scheer (32) became the youngest House Speaker in Canadian history.

When Prime Minister Steven Harper resigned as leader in 2015, Andrew, at the urging of many of his colleagues, set his sights on the Conservative leadership. Andrew announced his run for the leadership in September of 2016 and I was proud to be among the first MP’s to endorse him.

In November of 2016, I was pleased to welcome and host Andrew in our riding of Provencher. Coming from Regina, Andrew has a deep understanding of the issues we face here on the prairies. He is fluently bilingual. Andrew Scheer also understands the values of faith, family, and community, which were key in gaining my support. (He’s also a Jets fan, which helps).

Andrew and his wife Jill have five beautiful children (Thomas, Grace, Madeline, Henry, and Mary) and a minivan. They are still, in many ways, a down to earth, average Canadian family. As a result, they understand the needs and issues faced by Canadians.

After running a strong campaign, based on solid Conservative principles, I was so pleased to see Andrew Scheer elected as the second leader of the Conservative Party of Canada on May 27th, 2017.

Part of Andrew’s positive Conservative vision for when he becomes Prime Minister is to make life more affordable for Canadians.

Under the Liberals, 90% of Canadian families have seen their tax bill go up – with nothing to show for it in return. Andrew has pledged to repeal the Liberal’s Carbon Tax and to bring relief to struggling parents.

He will work hard to secure our border and restore the integrity of our immigration system.

He will continue to build on his previous record of toughening our criminal justice system to keep Canadians safe.

Andrew will be a champion for Canada rather than apologizing for it.

I was proud to endorse Andrew Scheer in 2016, and two years later I’m still proud. He will put people before ideology and restore common-sense policy-making to Ottawa.

Canadians often notice that Andrew always has a smile on his face. I think that is in part due to Jill and the kids, but also due to his boundless optimism about Canada. He is always full of hope about who we are and what we can achieve as a Country.

I think that as Canadians get to know Andrew better, a smile will return to their faces too.