By Andrew Macdonald
As we have been reporting this week in news dispatches, it is clear NS Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston is distancing the NS PC caucus away from the right wing federal Conservative party leader, Andrew Scheer.
Up until Friday of this week, it appeared that for the first time in a long time, there was no federal speech.
That changed on Friday, when the provincial wing of the party announced, after the agenda had been drafted weeks ago, that a federal Conservative MP will now speak at the Saturday portion of the Feb. convention.
I report elsewhere, the name of that federal MP, in this edition.
Typically, the Saturday luncheon has been reserved for a federal Tory speaker – and during the seven year long Jamie Baillie leadership of the provincial Tories, a federal speaker from the national Tory party was always part of the AGM.
That was the case, even when it appeared the Atlantic region had tired of the right wing agenda of then PM Stephen Harper.
My sources in Ottawa tell me that Houston did not invite federal Tory leader Andrew Scheer to speak at the convention in February.
I have heard from dedicated and long time Tories who are upset my this apparent shut out of the Scheer at the at the upcoming AGM.
Scheer is now campaigning for the federal vote, and he will need all the help he can to take Atlantic seats, so a speech at the Tory AGM would help him talk to voters in the region.
Tim Houston told me after he won the NS PC race last fall that he is a “Progressive Conservative”, when I put the question to him: Are you a Progressive Conservative of a Conservative?
I carry that interview and the original story below, in this news article.
There are many NS PC supporters who do not align with the federal Conservative party, because of the Canadian Alliance take-over of the national PC party, in 2003.
Newly nominated federal Tory contender, Rick Perkins, who will run in NS South Shore-St. Margarets, is a strong backer of Tim Houston, and played a key role in ensuring Houston won the Tory leadership.
But, Perkins is not upset that Scheer has not been invited to speak at the upcoming convention, to be held in early February at the Westin Nova Scotian hotel, in Downtown Halifax.
I spoke to Perkins on this apparent shut out of the federal Conservative leader, and Perkins tells me Houston wants to showcase the ‘PC’ faction at the upcoming party gathering.
Question: Are you disappointed Houston did not invite Scheer to speak at his AGM?
“No, not at all. We’re busy and he is busy. This is his convention, and it is his first convention as leader, so I understand the party wants to showcase him as the new leader. Tim needs to build his profile in the province – and the convention is a good vehicle for doing that”, Perkins tells The Notebook.
“Anything that takes away from that is probably not a great strategy for him in his quest to win the next provincial election – which I believe he will win”, adds Perkins.
