Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose said it’s critical her party remain united as it gears up for a leadership race that became more of an open contest after perceived frontrunner Peter MacKay decided to bow out.
Ambrose made the comments Tuesday at the party’s caucus summer retreat in Halifax, where senators and MPs will lay out the party’s priorities for the coming parliamentary session.
“We all understand the importance of speaking with one united voice,” she told Tories. “We know that drama drives ratings, that those outside our party will do everything they can to separate us into separate camps.
“We’ve been there before, a long, long time ago, and we have no intention of going back there.”
READ MORE: Peter MacKay says he won’t run for Conservative leadership
Her appeal for a unified voice came a day after Peter MacKay, a Nova Scotia native and perceived favourite if he chose to run, announced he would bow out from the race. In a statement Monday, the former cabinet minister said he wanted to spend more time with his young family and carry on with his career at a Toronto law firm.
Andrew Scheer steps down as Opposition House leader
In a move showing he is one step closer to declaring his candidacy, Conservative MP Andrew Scheer announced Tuesday he is giving up his post as Opposition House leader.
“My consultations about a possible run for the Conservative leadership have been very encouraging and I would like to continue to explore the feasibility of such an endeavour,” Scheer said in a statement sent by email.
The former Speaker of the House of Commons said he wanted to leave the House leader’s role before MPs return to Parliament Hill next week.
“I believe it is more appropriate for me to continue in these efforts outside of a caucus leadership position,” said Scheer, a bilingual MP from Saskatchewan.
READ MORE: Regina area MP Andrew Scheer resigns as Opposition House Leader, may seek Conservative leadership
He is expected to officially declare his candidacy in the coming weeks.
Caucus members heading into the meeting praised MacKay, saying they were sad he was not entering the race.
“It’s a bit of a loss because he would have been an outstanding candidate and I think he would have had a very good chance to win,” Ontario MP Peter Van Loan said.
Immigrant screening proposal causing divide
Ambrose’s call for unity comes amid controversy around leadership hopeful Kellie Leitch’s proposal that the federal government screen potential immigrants and refugees for their views on what she is calling “Canadian values.”
READ MORE: Kellie Leitch: Conversation must be had about screening immigrants for ‘anti-Canadian values’
The idea ignited an otherwise sleepy contest earlier this month, prompting some of her rivals now assembled in Halifax to denounce it.
Ontario MP Erin O’Toole, who is considering a leadership bid, said caucus members will be discussing the issue of immigration with provincial Progressive Conservative leaders from the region, which has a chronic problem with outmigration.
“We’re going to have a debate on a lot of these. People need to know there’s already screening for our immigration program and security is a key part of that,” he said going into the meeting. “If people want to have some debates on whether that should go further … that’s what a race is all about.”
When asked about Leitch’s comments, Ontario MP Tony Clement would only say, “I think it’s great when we debate issues in our party, but we will have to come together once the leadership race is over.”
Ontario MP Michael Chong, who is running for the leadership himself, has accused Leitch of engaging in “dog-whistle politics.”
Even Ambrose distanced herself from the idea, sparking a rebuke from Leitch.
As she headed into the two-day meeting, Leitch said she was simply interested in talking to Canadians about values, but again offered no specifics on how her proposal would work.
– With files from Joanna Smith in Ottawa
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