Conservative Party of Canada leader Andrew Scheer will address reporters at The Conservative National Caucus meeting in Ottawa on Sunday, and is expected to lay out his party’s plans for 2019.

MPs and senators are gathering in Ottawa for the three-day retreat, partly to prepare for the reopening of Parliament next week after the lengthy Christmas break. However, it’s clear that election is the focus of the excursion.

“The battle for 2019 has already begun,” declared an email blast to members ahead of the retreat which will include a number of activities related to campaign strategy and preparedness.

Scheer has been active in the media over the past few months, likely attempting to enhance his name recognition in comparison to Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of a federal election this year.

Scheer has been critical of several of Trudeau’s policies, and most recently urged the prime minister to fire the Canadian Ambassador to China, John McCallum, over comments he made to the media regarding the extradition of detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou to the United States.

Trudeau asked for and accepted McCallum’s resignation Friday night.

Scheer’s main talking points thus far have revolved around several key policy points for the Liberals, including the federal carbon tax, immigration and Canada-China relations.

Speaking in Montreal on Monday, Scheer promised Quebec voters more autonomy over immigration to the province if he’s elected in October.

Overall, the party is sharpening its message to Canadians to convince them the Conservatives are ready to topple the Trudeau government.

Deputy leader Lisa Raitt says MPs are hearing concerns from their constituents about the overall state of the country and how it is affecting their personal finances, echoing messaging shared by party leader Andrew Scheer in a series of town halls held across the country over the last few months.

–With files from the Canadian Press. 

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