106 Facts About Andrew Scheer

Andrew Scheer earned a Bachelor of Arts in criminology, political science, and history.

Andrew Scheer held the speaker role for the entirety of the 41st Canadian Parliament.

Andrew Scheer has described himself as focused on economic development, fiscal restraint, and reducing inefficiencies in government.

Andrew Scheer is a staunch opponent of the federal carbon tax and favours the construction of several pipelines.

On December 12,2019, following weeks of criticism within the party for the unsuccessful campaign he ran, Andrew Scheer abruptly announced he would be resigning as party leader effective upon the election of a new one.

Andrew Scheer was succeeded as leader on August 24,2020 by former cabinet minister Erin O'Toole.

Andrew Scheer was born on May 20,1979, at the Riverside Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario and was raised in Ottawa.

Andrew Scheer is the son of Mary Gerarda Therese, a nurse, and James D Scheer, a librarian, proofreader with the Ottawa Citizen, and Catholic deacon.

James was born in the United States, making his son Andrew Scheer a US citizen at birth despite being born in Canada.

Part of Andrew Scheer's family is from Romania and Ireland, and his paternal grandfather was Jewish.

Andrew Scheer spent summers during his youth with his maternal grandparents in Mississauga.

Andrew Scheer graduated from Immaculata High School and received the school's "Distinguished Catholic Alumni Award" in 2012.

In 1998, Andrew Scheer began his studies in criminology, political science, and history at the University of Ottawa; he would ultimately graduate in 2008, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree four years after he was first elected to Parliament.

Andrew Scheer worked in the correspondence department of the Office of the leader of the Opposition under Stockwell Day.

Andrew Scheer worked on Ottawa city councillor Karin Howard's youth advisory committee.

In Regina, Andrew Scheer worked as an insurance clerk, a waiter, and an assistant in the constituency office of Canadian Alliance MP Larry Spencer.

In 2005, Andrew Scheer's blog as an MP listed that he was an accredited insurance broker, and in 2007 the biography section on Andrew Scheer's MP website stated that he passed the Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker program in Saskatchewan and started his insurance industry career at Shenher Insurance in Regina.

Andrew Scheer responded to these claims by maintaining that he received accreditation for general insurance after leaving Shenher Insurance in Regina.

Andrew Scheer was re-elected in the federal election of 2006, again defeating Nystrom, this time by a margin of 2,740 votes.

Andrew Scheer sponsored a bill that would create minimum sentences for those convicted of motor vehicle theft called Bill C-343, An Act to amend the Criminal Code.

On June 2,2011, Andrew Scheer defeated Denise Savoie, the lone opposition and only woman candidate, in the sixth round of balloting.

Liberal MPs, who opposed Andrew Scheer's candidacy, criticized the NDP for voting for their own party member instead of tipping the balance toward Conservative MP Lee Richardson based on the MPs' beliefs that Andrew Scheer was "Harper's Boy".

Andrew Scheer was re-elected in the 2015 federal election in which the Conservative government was defeated.

Andrew Scheer was appointed opposition House leader by leader of the Official Opposition and interim Conservative party leader Rona Ambrose.

Andrew Scheer thought about running for the position of interim party leader but was dissuaded by fellow caucus MP Chris Warkentin, who pointed out that the interim leader cannot take the permanent position.

In 2016, Andrew Scheer publicly voiced his support for the UK's decision to vote in favour of Brexit during the referendum.

On September 28,2016, Andrew Scheer announced his bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party, saying that he had the support of 32 members of the Conservative caucus.

On May 27,2017, Andrew Scheer was elected as the second leader of the Conservative Party, beating runner up Maxime Bernier and more than 12 others with 50.95 per cent of the vote through 13 rounds.

Andrew Scheer garnered laughs at the annual Press Gallery dinner by joking:.

Andrew Scheer is considered a Blue Tory and is critical of the policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, having been critical of Trudeau's late father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

Andrew Scheer considered former prime minister John Diefenbaker and British member of the European Parliament Daniel Hannan as political influences.

Andrew Scheer described US senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio as "strong conservative voices" during the 2016 Manning Center Conference.

Andrew Scheer benefited from the unexpected support of Brad Trost during the leadership race.

Andrew Scheer was criticized by opposition politicians for removing his campaign platform after winning the Conservative leadership race.

Later, a Conservative spokesperson clarified that Andrew Scheer was aware that the Rebel was one of Marshall's many clients, but did not know the specifics.

On March 21,2018, in an interview with Macleans, Andrew Scheer stated that Marshall and his past relationship with the Rebel should not be conflated with his selection as campaign chair.

On January 4,2018, Andrew Scheer expelled Senator Lynn Beyak from the Conservative caucus, after she refused to remove one of her letters that suggested Indigenous people want to get things for "no effort".

Andrew Scheer stated that "Racism will not be tolerated in the Conservative caucus or Conservative Party of Canada".

Andrew Scheer said that his office was only aware of the letters on 2 January, but Garnet Angeconeb, a residential school survivor, stated that he emailed Andrew Scheer and Conservative Senate Leader Larry Smith about them on September 15,2017, and did not get a response.

Andrew Scheer's trip faced minor criticism from The Globe and Mail and the Ottawa Citizen.

At the 2019 election, Andrew Scheer led the Conservatives to a gain of 26 seats for a total of 121, up from 95 at the time of dissolution.

On December 12,2019, Andrew Scheer announced that he would resign as leader of the Conservatives and Official Opposition, staying on until a new leader could be selected.

Andrew Scheer has endorsed Pierre Poilievre's campaign to be leader of the Conservative Party in the 2022 Conservative Leadership Election.

On September 13,2022, Poilievre, as leader of the Conservative Party, appointed Andrew Scheer to become Opposition House Leader.

Andrew Scheer has proposed a tax cut for the lowest income tax bracket.

Andrew Scheer has promised to restore the Children's Fitness Tax Credit, where families can claim $1,000 annually for costs related to fitness or sports.

Andrew Scheer has stated that he will cancel Canada's $250 million annual contribution to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Andrew Scheer has expressed support for free markets stating that he believes in "a free market where businesses profit by having the best product or service".

Andrew Scheer was a major advocate for the removal of the Canadian Wheat Board.

Andrew Scheer proposed a policy to mandate the inclusion of national flag decals on gas pumps to highlight "Canadian-sourced, ethically produced oil".

Andrew Scheer has pledged to repeal the federal carbon tax in order to reduce the tax burden on individuals and businesses.

Andrew Scheer says he wants to make maternity and parental leave less expensive for families.

Andrew Scheer has promised to make employment insurance for parental and maternity benefits tax-free.

Andrew Scheer wants to introduce a tax credit to families who send their children to private schools.

Andrew Scheer proposes raising the limit on how much employment income a parent can earn each week while on leave.

In February 2018 Andrew Scheer introduced a private member bill, the second of his career.

Andrew Scheer has promised to increase the federal government's contribution to the Registered Education Savings Plan, increasing it from 20 per cent to 30 per cent annually up to $2,500.

Andrew Scheer added that low-income families would receive 50 per cent on the first $500 invested instead of the current 40 per cent.

Andrew Scheer has promised to revive the Children's Arts and Learning Tax Credit, where families can claim $500 per child for extracurricular arts or education programs, and families with children with disabilities are eligible to claim $1,000 per child.

Andrew Scheer has described his opposition to a federally-imposed carbon tax.

Andrew Scheer has said that if he is to form government, he will act to repeal any elements of a plan to implement a carbon tax enacted by the Trudeau government.

Andrew Scheer has proposed to restore the public transit tax credit, which the party says is part of its environment plan.

Andrew Scheer has promised to implement a Green Home Tax Credit, where homeowners could claim a 20 per cent refundable tax credit for spending between $1,000 and $20,000 on energy-efficient home renovations.

In October 2016, Andrew Scheer voted against the ratification of the Paris Agreement.

Andrew Scheer told Le Soleil that he does not support a "war on cars" when supporting a tunnel between Quebec City and Levis.

Andrew Scheer pledged that a Conservative government would extend the period of background checks to an individual's entire life instead of the current system of five years.

Andrew Scheer opposes a long-gun registry, opposes a proposed ban on handgun ownership, and has pledged to repeal the new regulations in the Liberal government's Bill C-71.

Andrew Scheer has proposed to introduce legislation that classifies firearms, instead of giving the authority to cabinet or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Andrew Scheer says he would not pursue a free trade agreement with China if he were prime minister, and he would ban Huawei from Canada's 5G network.

Andrew Scheer has criticized the Liberals for not ratifying the Trans-Pacific Partnership quickly enough.

In December 2017, when US President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Andrew Scheer did not take a public position.

Andrew Scheer tweeted in May 2018 that he was "praying for the safety of the soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces and all Israelis tonight as they face missile attacks".

Andrew Scheer has stated that Canada should ban the import of oil from Saudi Arabia due to human rights and environmental concerns.

In 2018 Andrew Scheer demanded that the gender-based analysis requirement imposed on Canadian pipeline projects by the Liberal government be instead applied to oil imported from Saudi Arabia.

Andrew Scheer was one of thirteen Canadians banned from travelling to Russia under retaliatory sanctions imposed by President Vladimir Putin in March 2014.

Andrew Scheer wants to prioritize helping those he considers the most vulnerable refugees, namely religious minorities like Christians in the Middle East who face death for conversion away from Islam.

Andrew Scheer prefers to help refugees integrate through private sponsorship instead of government sponsorship.

Andrew Scheer contends that the refugees who are currently struggling to find housing, jobs and language training do so because of the Liberal Party "using a devastating tragedy for political purposes".

On February 8,2018, Andrew Scheer expressed good will towards opening the constitution in support of then-premier Philippe Couillard's proposal based around five conditions which were: the codification of a distinct society; limits on federal spending power; while guaranteeing representation on the Supreme Court; a constitutional veto right; and increased control over immigration to Quebec in the constitution.

In May 2018, Andrew Scheer promised to advocate for a robust Quebec nationalism, and to give Quebec more control over immigration and culture as well as collecting then transferring their federal income tax.

Andrew Scheer opposes the non-partisan senate and has suggested that he would appoint people to the Senate "who share my goal of lowering taxes and growing the private sector".

Andrew Scheer said "they would be Conservative senators who would implement the conservative vision for Canada".

On September 16,2017, Andrew Scheer criticized Senator Lynn Beyak following her comments about Indigenous people.

Andrew Scheer stated that any decision to remove her would be made by the leader of the Conservatives in the Senate, Larry Smith.

Andrew Scheer has encouraged the Senate Conservative Caucus to block the passage of the Cannabis Act.

Andrew Scheer is considered pro-life by the Campaign Life Coalition and "has an impeccable pro life voting record" in the House of Commons.

Andrew Scheer has said that he will respect the Conservative Party's official policy on abortion, which currently states, "A Conservative government will not support any legislation to regulate abortion".

Andrew Scheer reiterated his stance on abortion during a 2017 CBC News interview, stating that he still considers himself pro-life, but would not reopen the issue if he were prime minister.

In 2018, Andrew Scheer accused the Liberal government of "imposing" the prime minister's views on upholding "women's rights and women's reproductive rights" when faith groups are applying for funding for summer jobs programs.

Andrew Scheer voted against Bill C-14, which allows practitioners to assist in the suicide of mentally competent adults with "enduring and intolerable suffering" in cases where death is "reasonably foreseeable".

Andrew Scheer was critical of Justin Trudeau's endorsement of comments made by Governor General Julie Payette on questioning people who support creationism stating that millions were "offended" by her comments.

In 2016, Andrew Scheer supported the removal of "traditional definition of marriage" from the conservative party policy book.

Andrew Scheer voted against Bill C-210, which altered the lyrics of the national anthem to a gender-neutral form.

However, after Conservative MPs Maxime Bernier and Brad Trost called for an investigation into the party's handling of Dykstra's candidacy while Michelle Rempel criticized the party's decision, Andrew Scheer called for a third-party investigation on January 31,2018.

On February 6,2018, Andrew Scheer declined to comment on the fate of those involved in the mishandling of the allegations against Dykstra during the 2015 election or say whether those involved remain welcome into the party.

Andrew Scheer has accused Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor on Twitter of trying to "legalize" hard drugs which he corrected to "decriminalize".

Andrew Scheer is critical of safe-injection sites arguing that "the government makes it quote unquote safer to inject illicit drugs".

Andrew Scheer argued that Khadr's compensation should have been limited to the right of repatriation, which Khadr had received in 2012.

The Globe and Mail reported that Andrew Scheer was not posting details of his private fundraising events.

On October 31,2017, it was reported that Andrew Scheer had three real estate limited partnerships : investment vehicles that reduce the holders' tax burden by writing off up to 50 per cent of their initial investment, for those who make an average income of $75,000 or more in Saskatchewan.

Andrew Scheer invested $75,000 in the RELPs, and his holdings were previously disclosed to the ethics commissioner.

Andrew Scheer married Jill Ryan at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Regina in 2003.

Andrew Scheer is a practising Catholic who attends Sunday mass and is an active member of the Knights of Columbus.

Andrew Scheer is a dual citizen, holding Canadian and US citizenship, which he obtained through his American-born father.

Andrew Scheer confirmed that he has filed US tax returns and the party verified that he is registered for the draft under the US Selective Service System, which is a list of individuals who can be conscripted into the US military in the event of a national emergency.

Andrew Scheer denied that he had been hiding this information, but rather stated that he had never been asked about his dual citizenship, nor about having an American-born parent, before the information was revealed by The Globe and Mail during the 2019 federal election campaign.