National Post (National Edition)
Unfazed by snub, Trost gets behind Scheer’s team
Pro-life MP left off list of ‘shadow ministers’
OT TAWA • Brad Trost, whose socially conservative supporters helped elect Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, says he isn’t disappointed after his name was left off a list of “shadow ministers” released Wednesday.
With rivals Maxime Bernier and Kellie Leitch publicly falling into line, and a prolife group also giving their approval, Scheer has faced little criticism from his base. But New Democrats are decrying the appointment of an apparently pro-life MP to the status of women portfolio — even as Tories swear they will not reopen the abortion debate.
Trost had no complaints about the shadow cabinet. “You know, I was actually struck by how much continuity there was,” he said.
Ahead of finalizing a roster, Scheer called to consult him, Trost said. “I told him I wanted to give him an absolutely free hand. You need to have people completely say, ‘you have my unqualified support regardless.’ ” Trost has no plans to leave the House.
“I remember back when people were really upset that Stephen Harper did not make them parliamentary secretaries. And then two years later, they were really relieved that Stephen Harper did not appoint them as parliamentary secretaries,” he said. “Sometimes the glory is not always worth the grief, this is the thing.”
In the leadership contest that ended in May, major down-ballot support for Scheer came from Trost and Pierre Lemieux, who branded themselves as social conservatives. Keeping people with socially-conservative views in the loop, alongside other types of conservatives like the libertarians who voted for Maxime Bernier, is Scheer’s big-tent challenge.
“There’s no expectation that we will veer sharply to the right on anything,” Trost said, but voters would expect consistency on past policy and free votes on issues of conscience.
New Democrat status of women critic Sheila Malcolmson is worried about more of a shift, though. She expressed concerns Thursday about her new Tory counterpart, Rachael Harder.
“I don’t think there’s any way that you can pretend to stand up for women when you are at the same time undermining their basic right to choose,” Malcolmson said.
According to the Campaign Life Coalition, in 2014 Harder replied “yes” to questions about whether she believed life begins at conception and whether she would “strive to introduce and pass laws to protect unborn children from the time of conception.”
Malcolmson called Harder “outspokenly anti-choice.” She also recalled Harder applauding loudly (and solo) when Malcolmson mentioned, in question period, a U.S. Trump administration policy that revoked development funding from groups that mention abortion, let alone offer services. “That was a strong non-verbal statement in my mind.”
In an emailed statement, Harder told the Post, “I am very proud to serve as the shadow minister for the status of women and I look forward to working with my colleagues on all sides of the House to advance shared issues of importance to women and girls. As you are aware, it is the official policy of the Conservative party that a future Conservative government will not reopen the abortion debate.”