Canadian opposition Conservative leader resigns

13/12/2019 3:57

        Canada's opposition Conservative leader said Thursday he will resign as party leader after weeks of infighting and a disappointing performance in parliamentary elections. Andrew Scheer, 40, called resigning “one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made.” He will stay on until a new leader is elected. "Serving as the leader of the party that I love so much has been the opportunity and the challenge of a lifetime," Scheer said on the floor of Parliament. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won a second term in Canada's October elections despite losing the majority in Parliament. It was an unexpectedly strong result for Trudeau following a series of scandals that had tarnished his image as a liberal icon. The vote led several Conservative officials to call for Scheer to step aside. Even members of his own party said Scheer is bland. They once touted it as a virtue, the antidote to Trudeau's flash and star power. In the words of Canada's former Conservative foreign minister, Joh
        n Baird: “He's not the sizzle, he's the steak. But Scheer was criticized during the campaign for embellishing his resume by saying he had worked as an insurance broker when, in fact, he was never licensed. He also took heat for holding dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship — something he and his party had blasted other Canadian political figures for and never mentioned until the Globe and Mail newspaper revealed it during the election campaign. He stumbled at several points in the campaign. He was widely panned after a debate when Trudeau grilled Scheer about his stance on abortion and the Conservative refused to answer. In 2005, he gave a speech in Parliament attacking same-sex marriage and his social conservative beliefs hurt him in Eastern Canada. Following the resignation, Trudeau issued a statement saying, “I want to thank him deeply for his service to Canada on behalf of all Canadians."