Andrew Scheer: Resignation, Current Role, and Biography

Andrew Scheer has held nearly every senior role a Conservative MP can hold—Speaker of the House, party leader, and now Opposition House Leader. Yet his political journey also raises questions that go beyond Parliament Hill: about dual citizenship, religion, and what the future holds. This article traces his trajectory from the Speaker’s chair to the backbench and back to the front of the opposition, with the facts you need to follow the story.

Age: 45 ·
Years as MP: 21 ·
Speaker of the House: 2011–2015 ·
Conservative Leader: 2017–2020 ·
Political Party: Conservative

Seven key facts about Andrew Scheer, collected from official and parliamentary sources:

Sources: Wikipedia, CPAC, The Globe and Mail.

What happened with Andrew Scheer?

Resignation as Conservative Leader in 2019

After leading the Conservatives into the October 2019 federal election and falling short of a majority, Scheer announced his resignation in the House of Commons in December 2019. CPAC (the Cable Public Affairs Channel) covered the announcement. He remained the MP for Regina—Qu’Appelle.

Return to backbench

From 2020 to early 2022, Scheer sat as a backbench Conservative MP under interim leader Erin O’Toole and later Pierre Poilievre. He was not given a shadow cabinet role until 2022.

Appointment as Opposition House Leader

In 2022, Poilievre appointed Scheer as Official Opposition House Leader, a senior role responsible for the party’s strategy in the House of Commons. According to Wikipedia (the user-edited encyclopedia), he briefly returned to the role of Leader of the Opposition in early 2025 after Poilievre lost his seat, serving for the first three months of the 45th Parliament until Poilievre won a by-election.

Why did Andrew Scheer step down?

2019 election results

The Conservatives won 121 seats in the 2019 election, enough to form the official opposition but not to unseat Justin Trudeau’s Liberals. Scheer faced immediate internal pressure to resign.

Internal party pressure

Behind the scenes, caucus members and party organizers criticized Scheer’s fundraising performance and what they saw as an ineffective campaign. Courthouse News Service (a U.S.-based legal news outlet) reported that a Conservative spokesman confirmed Scheer had begun the process to renounce his U.S. citizenship during the campaign, adding to the controversy.

Campaign controversies

During the campaign, Scheer faced questions about his dual citizenship and his personal stance on same-sex marriage and abortion. He emphasized his Roman Catholic faith as a personal guide but pledged not to reopen those debates. The dual-citizenship story, broken by The Globe and Mail (Canada’s leading national newspaper), dominated news cycles and eroded confidence among some voters.

What is Andrew Scheer doing now?

Role as Opposition House Leader

As House Leader, Scheer manages the Conservatives’ legislative agenda and coordinates question period strategy. He is the party’s lead negotiator with the government on House business. CPAC regularly shows him in the chamber, often sparring with the government House leader.

Daily activities in Parliament

Scheer attends caucus meetings, participates in committee work (he sits on the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs), and represents his Saskatchewan riding. He maintains a constituent office in Regina.

Relationship with current leader Pierre Poilievre

Scheer has publicly supported Poilievre’s leadership and endorsed his policies. According to Wikipedia, Scheer briefly became Leader of the Opposition again in 2025 when Poilievre lost his seat, demonstrating the party’s reliance on his experience.

Does Andrew Scheer have dual citizenship?

Scheer confirmed during the 2019 election campaign that he holds both Canadian and U.S. citizenship. He was born in Ottawa to a Canadian father and a U.S.-born mother, which gave him automatic U.S. citizenship at birth.

Dual Canadian and American citizenship

In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Scheer said he had not renewed his U.S. passport as an adult, had never voted in a U.S. election, but had regularly filed U.S. taxes as required of all American citizens abroad. His parents obtained U.S. passports for him and his sisters when they were children.

Reason for second citizenship

Scheer explained that his mother was born in the United States, so he acquired automatic U.S. citizenship at birth. He said he was not actively aware of the dual status until later in life.

Political implications

The revelation became a campaign issue, with critics questioning his loyalty and suggesting a conflict of interest. Scheer’s campaign stated he had submitted renunciation paperwork in August 2019 and was waiting for confirmation. CBC News (Canada’s public broadcaster via YouTube) reported that the Conservative Party said Scheer had met with U.S. officials that month to begin the process.

What is Andrew Scheer’s religion?

Scheer is a practicing Roman Catholic and has spoken publicly about how his faith influences his values and public service. According to Wikipedia, he has been open about his faith throughout his career.

Roman Catholic faith

Scheer was raised Catholic and regularly attends church. He has said his faith is a personal matter but that it helps guide his ethical decisions.

Public statements on faith

During the 2019 leadership race and general election, Scheer publicly identified as pro-life and pro-traditional marriage while stating he would not impose his views on the party or government. He has emphasized that his faith informs his values, not his policy platforms.

Impact on politics

Scheer’s social conservatism was a double-edged sword: it energized the party’s grassroots but alienated moderate swing voters, particularly in suburban ridings. After the 2019 defeat, some internal critics pointed to his religious stance as a factor in the loss.

Timeline

2004 – First elected as MP for Regina—Qu’Appelle · 2011–2015 – Served as Speaker of the House of Commons · 2017 – Elected leader of the Conservative Party · October 2019 – Leads Conservatives to election loss · December 2019 – Resigns as Conservative leader · 2022 – Appointed Official Opposition House Leader (Wikipedia)

Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear

In his own words

“I have resigned as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.”

“A Conservative spokesman confirmed that Scheer had begun the process to renounce his U.S. citizenship.”

For the Conservative Party, Scheer’s institutional experience means a steady hand in the House remains in place—but the unanswered question of his own leadership ambitions means the party’s long-term succession calculus is far from settled. For Canadian voters, the takeaway is clear: Andrew Scheer remains a significant figure in federal politics, whether in the Speaker’s chair, the leader’s office, or the front bench of the opposition.

Related reading: Andrew Scheer biography and political timeline · Andrew Scheer’s dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship controversy

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