OTTAWA–As federal Conservatives prepare for a Wednesday caucus meeting that could trigger a leadership review, some Conservative MPs and party activists are working to oust Andrew Scheer, the Star has learned.Scheer’s team, which has been tracking the leader’s level of support in caucus, believes he has the numbers to hang on, one senior Conservative source told the Star.However, one of those working against him believes there is enough anger about Scheer’s leadership that the caucus might adopt a new rule that would allow it to trigger an immediate review. “It’s not around a (leadership) candidate, it’s an anti-Scheer movement,” said the party source. “There’s people from all over the Conservative family.” Another source said while there’s talk of defenestrating Scheer — including among MPs — nobody is actually yet moving to do so.Under the Reform Act, MPs must hold a recorded vote in their first caucus meeting after an election on new rules that would give them the power to force a leadership vote.If Conservative MPs opt to so empower themselves, it would take just 20 per cent of caucus — 25 MPs — to then formally trigger a secret-ballot vote on Scheer’s leadership. Should more than half of caucus vote to oust him, the party would be plunged into its second leadership contest in four years.The 1 p.m. caucus meeting will be chaired by veteran Tory MP Scott Reid (Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston).“It could be tight,” said a worried Tory insider who is loyal to the leader.Scheer has faced intense criticism since the Conservatives lost to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals in the Oct. 21 election, in which the party gained seats but lost ground in the crucial provinces of Ontario and Quebec.According to one of the sources, conversations among those gunning for the Conservative leader began on election night.That criticism has moved from anonymous ...
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