‘Now is the time for ideas’
Calgary MP Michelle Rempel breaks silence on future of Tory party
CALGARY – Calgary NoseHill MP Michelle Rempel has broken her silence about the future of her party, days after federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said he would step down from his post.
In a thread posted on Twitter on Saturday morning, Rempel said it was time for the party to look for “big, bold, visionary stuff.”
“Over the last few years, I feel like our party has been cowed into submission that somehow transactional politics are the only thing that we should be doing,” she said, “that big bold transformative ideas on the right are verboten simply by virtue of them not being Liberal.
“Partisanship works when (we) agree on policy outcome, but boldly and unapologetically offer alternative policy instruments to get there. Where my party has encountered issues is when we are perceived to ignore a public policy concern altogether.”
She noted that while her tweets were “not an opening salvo to a leadership bid,” it was “an appeal to the core point” of a National Post editorial she shared. The editorial, published Friday afternoon, suggested the Conservative party focus on philosophy first before choosing a leader.
“So now is the time for ideas, and a big tough conversation about what we want to do for Canada. Let’s start there, and measure our candidates by that,” Rempel wrote in the closing tweet of the thread.
Rumours and speculation about the party’s leadership have swirled since Scheer announced his resignation Thursday. He will remain party leader until a successor is chosen.
Suggested as candidates for the leader’s post have been Rempel, former interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose, former Stephen Harper cabinet minister Peter MacKay and Ontario MP Erin O’Toole, among others.
Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said while she thinks a shakedown at the top was inevitable, the next leader of the party needs to be able to bridge gaps.
“In spite of the fact their raw numbers went up, they lost seats in Quebec and Ontario,” said Williams.
“If they want to be a truly national party that is able to claim support and membership and participation across the country, they simply have to broaden their base.
“And in order to broaden their base, they’re going to have to find bridges across the things that divide many of the Conservatives.”
Noting that credible climate policy — or balancing energy and the environment — could be ways to do so, Williams said they need to be done in a way that doesn’t further alienate Westerners.
And while suggestions have arisen a woman would be best to lead the Conservative base moving forward, Williams said ability is going to be key for the Tories.