Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer sought Friday to put the Liberals on notice that despite the Tory leadership race, the Official Opposition wonB次元官网网址檛 rest.

Scheer wished all the candidates well, but said given the LiberalsB次元官网网址� minority government, his caucus needs to stay sharp.

B次元官网网址淭he Trudeau Liberals might think that our leadership race will give them a free ride,B次元官网网址� he said, in a speech to Tory MPs and senators before the House of Commons sits again Monday.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e wrong. WeB次元官网网址檙e all going to continue to be here in Ottawa, in the House of Commons, and on the committee floor every single day fighting for our vision for the country.B次元官网网址�

The meeting of the Conservative caucus came on the heels of a similar gathering of Liberal MPs, who were exhorted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to play nice with their opponents.

Scheer offered no similar pitch. He accused the Liberals of using their upcoming budget to buy votes from the Bloc Quebecois and NDP, and attacked a planned Liberal bill banning military-style assault rifles.

B次元官网网址淭his is an attack on law-abiding, responsible firearms owners,B次元官网网址� he said.

Liberals caucus chair Francis Scarpaleggia said it seems B次元官网网址減remature for that kind of rhetoricB次元官网网址� before Parliament has even begun to get down to work.

B次元官网网址淐anadians, on a certain level, donB次元官网网址檛 care about the politics. They want to see the results,B次元官网网址� he said.

Though Scheer may wish to focus his MPs and senators on the upcoming return of the Commons, the ongoing leadership contest does run up against those plans.

Former MP and cabinet minister Peter MacKay will formally unveil his campaign on Saturday, just as Scheer is wrapping the last day of his session with MPs. MacKay spent part of Friday tweeting out the names of members of ScheerB次元官网网址檚 team who are now backing him for the leadership.

Meanwhile, current MP Erin OB次元官网网址橳oole is also expected to launch his bid in the coming days. Foreign policy is expected to be a hot-button issue, with the Liberals facing heat on China and on relations with Iran. OB次元官网网址橳oole has been the partyB次元官网网址檚 critic on the file for years, but will now have to vacate the post to follow his leadership ambitions.

Pierre Poilievre, who is the Tory finance critic, made a stunning announcement Thursday that heB次元官网网址檚 not running for the leadership, citing the burden it would place on his family.

He said Friday he remains committed to his work on the Hill, and is stressing to other contenders the need for focus on fiscal issues.

MacKayB次元官网网址檚 time with the party harkens back to one of its two predecessors, the Progressive Conservatives.

Stockwell Day, who briefly helmed the other B次元官网网址� the Canadian Alliance B次元官网网址� was also on hand for FridayB次元官网网址檚 meeting. There are lessons from the experience of putting the two parties together, he said.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the things that people learned in that era was whoever emerges as the leader, as the winner, letB次元官网网址檚 all get behind him or her, whoever wins,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭hat was a hard learned lesson.B次元官网网址�

Calgary MP Michelle Rempel Garner, who has not ruled out running herself, said she is growing increasingly frustrated that the debate around the leadership race seems to be ignoring the western branch of the party.

Too much time has been spent talking about whether a leader ought to speak French, and how winning Quebec or Ontario is central, she said.

Western CanadaB次元官网网址檚 support is just looked at as a given and itB次元官网网址檚 not, Rempel Garner said.

B次元官网网址淚 think thereB次元官网网址檚 enough people who are just looking at this and saying, B次元官网网址榃hat about us?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� she said.

So far, Alberta-based businessman Rick Peterson is the only declared candidate from west of Ontario. Former Edmonton MP and interim party leader Rona Ambrose had been high on many peopleB次元官网网址檚 lists as a potential candidate, but she announced this week she wonB次元官网网址檛 run.

Meanwhile, the party continued to grapple with the fallout from comments from one potential contender this week. QuebecB次元官网网址檚 Richard Decarie drew immediate condemnation from some in the party this week after he said he believes being LGBTQ is a choice, and that heB次元官网网址檇 withdraw funding for abortion services. It prompted rounds of questions to MPs on Friday about their own positions, and whether Decarie ought to be allowed to run.

Rempel Garner said she intends to ask the party to disqualify him as a candidate, on the grounds that if heB次元官网网址檇 said something similar while running to be an MP, heB次元官网网址檇 be kicked out.

B次元官网网址淥ur party is being defined by this conversation right now B次元官网网址� what is this leadership committee going to do?B次元官网网址� she said.

Candidates have until Feb. 27 to submit the first $25,000 of the $300,000 total entry fee and the first third of the 3,000 signatures required to enter. Decarie has said he is putting together his application.

After itB次元官网网址檚 in, the leadership committee can decide whether or not to include him as a candidate.

B次元官网网址攚ith files from Joan Bryden

Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press

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