Andrew Scheer could be 'friendly' to anti-abortion groups, says MP Brad Trost
Newly-elected Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer will have "a friendly and open way of dealing with things," and that could include issues like abortion, says Saskatchewan MP Brad Trost.
Trost surprised many by finishing fourth in the Conservative Party of Canada leadership election on Saturday.
As It Happens guest host Helen Mann spoke with Trost about what he expects from the new Conservative leader. Here is part of their conservation.
People from the Philippines, from China often share social values very close to what I share and they're the future of Canada. They're not the past. And I think that's a good thing.- Brad Trost
HM: A large number of your supporters appeared to have moved to support Mr. Scheer, what do think they see in them?
BT: I think the reason that Andrew did better than [Maxime Bernier] did is the family image. The fact that he's a devout Roman Catholic and has a perfect voting record. Max had some policies that appealed to social conservatives but didn't quite have the same strong image and I think in the end that's what tipped the difference between the two of them.
HM: You speak of Mr. Scheer's family life. We heard today from the anti-abortion group "We Need a Law". They've written that under Mr. Scheer they see a "promise of a friendlier and more welcoming environment in Parliament for individual members to introduce legislation protecting" what they call "pre-born human rights." You have been a very vocal opponent of abortion. Do you think that they are right?
BT: I think number one, Andrew is a friendly, welcoming guy. So I think that's going to be true on everything across the board. How he's particularly going to do with each and every individual issue including pro-life issues, I think even Andrew hasn't totally figured out the details of that. From my perspective I think I'm going to give him space and support on however he comes to work with this problem.
HM: I'm wondering if you think he is a friendly leader to those who have socially conservative values like yourself?
BT: I think that would be a safe assumption to make. Again Andrew is going to have his own style and way of doing thing, and I don't think people should read too much into small, nuanced things. He will have a friendly and open way of dealing with things and I think that's good. I think that's the way all Canadians should engage in politics. For issues that I care about, like the life issues, I think that's outstanding.
HM: If you have a party that has such diverse opinions, how do you remain open?
BT: The diversity we have in our party is actually a strength. We bring people in. We aren't trying to drive people out. When many media talk about making the tent broader and more diverse, they may not realize that means bringing in social conservatives. Social conservatives are a big chunk of new Canadians. We want to have our views paid attention to. We know we won't get everything but we're part of the Canadian discussion. And the Conservative party is open, welcoming and inclusive, unlike the Liberals.
HM: Polling though indicates that public opinion across this country is actually becoming more progressive rather than less. How do you become a government if you appeal to trends and opinions that do not seem to be the way the country and the world is heading?
BT: Polls are not always accurate, and polls are hard to prove. If you look at who is coming to Canada, what sort of attitudes are they bringing into the country? And how is this new diversity? People from the Philippines, from China often share social values very close to what I share and they're the future of Canada. They're not the past. And I think that's a good thing.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For more on this story, listen to our full conversation with Brad Trost.