Saskatchewan MPS split three ways on Conservative leadership

Backers for O’toole, Mackay and Lewis make their case as party vote draws near

Saskatchewan’s Members of Parliament are choosing their camps in the Conservative Party leadership race, with a wave of endorsements flowing in over the past week.

May 15 is the deadline for signing up new members to vote for a replacement for Regina-qu’appelle MP Andrew Scheer, who announced he was stepping down as the party’s leader in December. Scheer has not revealed an endorsement, but his Saskatchewan colleagues are splitting three ways.

Ontario MP Erin O’toole has a slight edge in MP endorsements from Saskatchewan. Regina-lewvan MP Warren Steinley, his campaign co-chair in the province, said O’toole has picked up five MPS. Four, including Steinley, are first-term MPS: Saskatoon-west’s Brad Redekopp, Saskatoon-university’s Corey Tochor and Desnethé-missinippi-churchill River’s Gary Vidal.

Robert Kitchen, who represents Souris-moose Mountain, is also on board, according to Steinley.

Steinley said he was looking for a candidate who can win where the party showed weakness in 2015 and 2019. He felt O’toole, a Toronto area MP, fit the bill. He thinks O’toole’s leadership campaign shows he has what it takes to go “toe-to-toe” with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“His campaign has been virtually flawless in getting their message out and I think he is very well organized,” said Steinley.

“He has a lot of support around the country right now from Conservatives, and I think the more people get to know Erin O’toole, the more they’re going to like him.”

But supporters of former cabinet minister Peter Mackay argue that Canadians won’t have much time to get to know a leader in a minority Parliament.

Prince Albert MP Randy Hoback, one of Mackay’s Saskatchewan co-chairs, puts winnability at the top of his list.

And he thinks the Conservatives need a high-profile leader to beat Trudeau.

“The reason I went to Peter is a very basic reason. In order for us to get back into government, we have to add seats in Atlantic Canada and Eastern Canada, and we need the right person to beat Trudeau.

“And Peter has the best profile, and the best ability to beat Trudeau in the next federal election,” said Hoback.

Hoback endorsed O’toole in the last leadership campaign. He said O’toole remains a close friend, but doesn’t have the same shot at victory.

“Peter’s got the best chance for the winning,” said Hoback. “We need to win — and that’s the end of the story.”

According to Hoback, Saskatoon-Grasswood MP Kevin Waugh is also on Team Mackay, as is Senator Denise Batters.

The campaign announced an endorsement from Moose Jaw-lake Centre-lanigan MP Tom Lukiwski on Monday.

Hoback acknowledges that the race in Saskatchewan is “tight,” though he thinks Mackay has the edge nationally.

Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis has also picked up three Saskatchewan MPS, a majority of the five MP endorsements she’s earned nationwide.

Lewis has earned support from groups like Campaign Life Coalition and Right Now that oppose abortion, so it’s little surprise that she’s attracted MPS that have taken similar positions.

Yorkton-melville MP Cathay Wagantall, who has introduced a private member’s bill to ban sex-selective abortions, is in the Lewis camp.

She said Lewis’s reputation as one of the more socially conservative candidates in the race is “definitely one of the issues” that appealed to her, but certainly not the only one.

“I’m just really impressed with what I sense is her ability to stand strong on any debate,” said Wagantall.

Swift Current-grasslands MP Jeremy Patzer and Battlefords-lloydminster MP Rosemarie Falk are also endorsing Lewis. Patzer identifies as social conservative and said freedom to vote his conscience is an important consideration.

But Falk said she didn’t get behind Lewis because of pro-life issues, specifically. She instead pointed to what she called a “common sense approach.”

Falk rejects the notion that choosing a high-profile candidate is the key to victory. She thinks a clean slate is the way to go, rather than a “career politician.” In her view, that’s Lewis.

“She has no baggage, no political baggage, that could be speared against her,” said Falk.

“I don’t think the most famous is just going to win.”

Mail-in ballots for the Conservative Party leadership are due by Aug. 21, with the result to be announced after they’re processed and examined.