After calling for a special caucus meeting in the House of Commons earlier on Thursday morning, Andrew Sheer made his announcement, asking the party’s governing council to immediately begin the process to elect a new leader, according to the Globe and Mail.
In the October election that ended up being too close to call, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals squeaked past the party of Conservative leader Sheer but lost the popular vote. It had been a hard-fought campaign for both parties – pitting a handsome, charismatic Trudeau against the somewhat bland minivan-driving dad.
The Toronto Sun says that Sheer has been under almost constant pressure from members within his own party to resign after losing the election to Trudeau. As it is, he won the leadership of the party in 2017 in a razor thin victory against 12 rivals.
For Sheer, this morning’s announcement was one of the most difficult decisions he ever had to make, reports the BBC. “I just informed my colleagues in the Conservative caucus that I will resign as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and I will be asking the Conservative Party National Council to organize the process of a leadership election,” he told the House.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is stepping down as leader.
CBC News has learned he told his caucus the news today and is expected to make an announcement in the House of Commons. December 12, 2019
“As our party embarks on this exciting opportunity, electing a new leader and Canada’s next prime minister, I intend to stay on as leader of the party and the Official Opposition.” The announcement also comes as former Conservative cabinet minister John Baird has been briefing other MPs on his election review.
Scheer has five children, and he said the hectic pace of leading the Conservative Party – especially during the election campaign – took a toll on his family and his wife, Jill, who he called “heroic.”
“In order to chart the course ahead, this party needs a leader who can give 100 percent to this effort. So after a conversation with my kids, my loved ones, I felt it was time to put my family first,” he said.
Party leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, rose to pay tribute to Mr. Scheer in the Commons following his resignation.
Sheer offered some “good-natured ribbing” to Mr. Trudeau – saying, “I haven’t fact-checked this yet…but I believe I’m the first person in Canadian history to get more votes than a Trudeau,” Mr. Scheer said to laughs. “Couldn’t resist.”
