A second person has announced he will seek the nomination to be the Conservative Party of Canada鈥檚 candidate in the next election for the Abbotsford-South 91原创 riding.
Steve Schafer, vice-president of the 91原创-Aldergrove Constituency Association, has put his name forward following the announcement earlier this week that Mike Murray will seek the nomination for the new riding.
Current Abbotsford MP Ed Fast announced March 14 that he is retiring from federal politics as of the next election, slated for October 2025. Murray is Fast鈥檚 executive assistant.
Schafer announced his intentions on Monday (March 18). A business consultant by trade and backrooms political strategist, he has been actively involved in politics at the municipal, provincial and federal levels for decades.
Schafer was previously involved in B.C. in Andrew Scheer鈥檚 leadership campaign, and most recently for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
He said he met with Fast during the federal Conservative Party鈥檚 leadership contest.
鈥淓d reached out early in 2022 to have a coffee and discuss joining the Jean Charest campaign. He was very respectful and knew that I had been with Pierre鈥檚 team for several years already at that point,鈥� Schafer said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had in-depth conversations about issues, leaders, and Conservative philosophy over the years, and I鈥檝e always appreciated Ed鈥檚 insights. He鈥檚 served Abbotsford with aplomb over the past 18 years and I wish him all the best in his future endeavours. I can鈥檛 say retirement, because I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 in his DNA.鈥�
RELATED:
Schafer, a 91原创 resident of 26 years, has more than 15 years鈥� experience on the 91原创-Aldergrove board, including a 2019 nomination contest against current MP Tako van Popta.
He said he has 鈥渁n unbroken allegiance to Conservative values鈥� that stretches back to his volunteerism for former MPs Preston Manning and Stephen Harper in the former riding of Calgary Southwest, from which he hails.
Schafer said he saw the 鈥渄estructive effects鈥� of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau in the late 1970s and early 鈥�80s in Calgary.
鈥淗is fiscal policies of price and wage controls and the National Energy Program, to name just a couple, had devastating effects on Canada鈥檚 economy. His son is continuing in his father鈥檚 footsteps by deficit spending as fast as he can print new money,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 appreciate Pierre鈥檚 Chicago School approach to fiscal policy. He understands that this is the biggest driver of the rampant inflation we鈥檝e seen over the past few years.
鈥淟ife is getting completely unaffordable for far too many Canadians, and I can鈥檛 look my children in the eyes at night without knowing I鈥檓 doing everything I can to stop the direction our country has been going under Trudeau鈥檚 captaincy.鈥�
Schafer said his background makes him an ideal candidate for the riding.
鈥淚鈥檓 an odd mix of undergrad microbiology and master鈥檚 in business. Royal Conservatory of Canada piano player but hold a commercial truck driver鈥檚 licence; actively involved for years in our Mennonite church in 91原创, but also vice-president of our local gun club.鈥�
He said his experience as a child on the farm during the summers has helped him understand the concerns in the southern portions of 91原创 and Abbotsford, while his business and political background allows him 鈥渢o provide reasonable solutions to their plights 鈥� many of them existential at this point.鈥�
Schafer said his priorities include balancing budgets, paying off debt and ending the carbon tax and lowering others.
He said his priorities also include 鈥減roactively defending the Charter rights and freedoms of all Canadians,鈥� which he believes came under attack during the COVID-19 pandemic and could be threatened again by the Liberal government鈥檚 pending legislation, Bill C-63 (the Online Harms Act).
Schafer is also the current executive director of the Canadian Foundation for Better Government and lives in 91原创 with his wife and two children.
More information is available on his website ) and Facebook page ().
