Andrew Scheer quitting as Conservative Leader amid Controversy OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has
board approves a dedicated fund to cover a leader’s expens-
announced he will step down once a new leader of the
es but does not sign off on specific expenditures, a source
Conservative Party of Canada is selected.
told the Star.
Scheer told his caucus MPs at an emergency caucus
But Scheer’s supporters pushed back at any suggestion that
meeting Thursday that he would be quitting, but will remain as
he was under pressure to quit and denied suggestions he
leader of the Official Opposition until a new leader is chosen.
wrongly used party funds.
Conservative MPs then filed into the House of Commons
“There was no misappropriation of any funds,” MP Chris
tight-lipped, where Scheer delivered his resignation speech.
Warkentin, one of Scheer’s loyalists in caucus, told CBC on Thursday.
Scheer said he had come to a “difficult decision” to “put my family first,” saying it had been an “incredible challenge” to
Conservative Party of Canada executive director Dustin van
lead the party into the last general election.”
Vugt confirmed Thursday that the party has been paying part of the schooling costs for Scheer’s children.
He said he would stay on as a member of Parliament and pledged his full support to the next Conservative leader.
“As is the normal practice for political parties, the party offered to reimburse some of the costs associated with being
Scheer urged party members to “stay united” through the
a national leader and relocating the family to Ottawa,” van
months-long leadership race that is now about to unfold, but
Vugt said in a written statement.
made clear he no longer had the stomach for it. “Shortly after Mr. Scheer was elected leader, we had a “This party, this movement, needs someone who can give
meeting where I made a standard offer to cover costs
100 per cent to the effort,” he said, adding that after conversa-
associated with moving his family from Regina to Ottawa. This
tions with his children and family, “I felt it was time to put my
includes a differential in schooling costs between Regina and
family first.”
Ottawa. All proper procedures were followed and signed off on by the appropriate people.”
As the news broke, Global News first reported allegations that Scheer used Conservative party money to pay for his
Kory Teneycke, a former Stephen Harper aide who mounted
children’s private schooling. The Star had received similar
a campaign to dump Scheer, told the Star Thursday that his
allegations and has now independently confirmed that the
decision to step down was “the right decision. It should have
Conservative Fund “partially covered the costs associated
happened on election night.”
with” Scheer’s children’s schooling, but would not specify any amounts.
But Teneycke said that if the allegations about private school payments are true, there is “no way” Scheer should remain in
There are conflicting reports about whether top party officials,
the top job until a new leader is chosen.
like Stephen Harper who remains a director of the Conservative Fund, were aware of such a use of party money. The
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MBE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FEBRUARY / MARCH 2020
“Benefits paid to party leaders should be above-board and W W W. M B E F O RYOU. C O M
