Election 2025 Candidate Scott Reid

Apr 09, 2025

By Jemma Dooreleyers

Scott Reid is a Conservative party of Canada member and has been Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston’s Member of Parliament since 2000.

Since his first election he has served as the Deputy Government House Leader from 2006-2015, the Shadow Minister (also known as the opposition critic) for Democratic Institutions from 2015 to 2018 and the Deputy Opposition Leader from 2015 to 2016.

After his re-election in October of 2021, he was elected as Chair of the Conservative Caucus by the Conservative Members of Parliament.

Reid has held 11 Constituency referendums to determine how the members of Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston would vote on the issues going to parliament and as a result of one of the referendums, used the MP pay raise to donate to charity.

So far, he has donated $140,000 to purchase automated External Defibrillators and CPR training for members of the riding.

Reid had a moment in the spotlight in 2017, when he loudly swore at Liberal MP Larry Bagnell, who was the chair of a committee discussing some rule changes in the House of Commons for ending a committee meeting early.

Reid is currently on the Board of Directors for Giant Tiger Stores ltd.

Frontenac News caught up with Reid over email to discuss his decision to run again  for MP and how he is going to work for the population of Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston.

1. Why did you want to run for MP candidate under Pierre Poilievre's mandate?

A: I am enthusiastic about Pierre's Affordability Agenda. In the past decade, Canadians have become less well off, and the gap in well-being between wealthier and poorer Canadians has grown. Pierre has concrete, common-sense plans to reverse the trends that have done so much damage in the past decade. I'd like to play a role in helping to rebuild a better, freer, wealthier and more equitable Canada.

2. What do you think went well in your last term as MP?

A: I was able to concentrate on some policy matters that I think are really important.  One of my initiatives was to create a change to the Standing Orders that would make it impossible for future governments to rewrite the rules in the House of Commons in ways that stifle democracy and cut off debate. This proposal received the unanimous consent of all MPs. I also concentrated on raising the issue of the out-of-control costs, and of working conditions at the prison farm in Joyceville. I raised the issue, which I have been pursuing now for a decade, of putting defibrillators in police cruisers.

3. What would you like to improve upon?

A: I've always prided myself on my civility and on being on good terms with MPs of all parties, in the rough-and-tumble environment of the House of Commons. On one occasion in the last Parliament, I lost my temper, and am rather embarrassed by that fact. A reputation for civility is easily lost! 

4. Many members of this riding feel as though rural Canada gets ignored and that our parliament does not reflect the needs of the community when making policies. Do you agree with this feeling? What will you as MP do to combat this feeling?

A: The most important thing that an MP can do is to focus on those people in his or her riding, who are the most forgotten by federal policy. In a rural riding like Lanark-Frontenac, that means bringing attention to the rural and small-town issues that get forgotten in a mostly urban country like Canada (for example, the fact that people here don't have access to public transportation, and that we still have problems with bandwidth, and in some locations we still have problems with cellphone service. But also, some issues that have traditionally been seen as urban are overflowing into our communities, including out-of-control house prices and homelessness.

5. We are in a confusing and intense time politically and economically. What would you like to say to the members of your riding to comfort them during this time? What will you, as MP do to fight for the members of your riding?

A: Since you phrased your question to ask about comfort, I think the best response is to express my own belief that context is the best comfort. The context, with regard to the damaging tariff policy of President Trump, is that the United States constitution was designed precisely to place limits on the overreach of the Executive Branch of government. Thanks to the careful design work of the framers of that constitution, we are about to witness exactly how this works.

It is important to realize that whatever Mr Trump may want to do, his ability to impose tariffs and other restrictions is limited by the fact that his party commands only a very thin majority in each of the two houses of Congress. His trade policies are already starting to hurt Americans in various parts of the country (because it is Americans who have to pay all those tariffs that Mr Trump hopes will generate billions of dollars in new revenues.) As well, his policies have started to drive down the US stock markets.

This will cost him support, and Congress will turn against him. As early as April 2, a few Republican Senators switched sides and voted, with the Democrats, against his tariff policy. It was a non-binding vote, but I believe that will soon change.

You also asked what I will do, in these uncertain times, on behalf of my constituents. The answer is that I hope to be able to play my part in ensuring that Canada's policy response is targeted and focused. Every time a retaliatory tariff is imposed by the Canadian government, every penny of that tariff has to be paid by Canadians. So we have to be careful to not trigger grocery price inflation, for example, by over-tariffing American food imports, without first making sure that relatively competitive products are available from other countries. This is true, for example, of produce, citrus fruits, and berries.  

6. How does this election feel different than last election?

A: The obvious difference is the fact that this time around, people are adjusting to the aggressive foreign policy of Donald Trump. But also, both the Conservatives and the Liberals have new leaders, and that makes a difference.

7. Many Canadians, including the members of your riding, are concerned about the rising cost of living, especially with the threat of tariffs. Canadians are worried that corporations will take advantage of the tariffs as an excuse to raise grocery prices. Are you concerned that this could be a possibility and what will you as MP do to protect your riding from the rising cost of living?

A: In this election, affordability issues have been at the heart of the Conservative campaign. We are proposing:

- changes to Tax Free Savings Accounts;

- an end to the Carbon Tax (including the hidden carbon tax proposed by Mark Carney);

- removing the GST on new home construction;

- allowing Seniors who have to work, to avoid the clawback on a larger amount of earned income;

- a 15% income tax reduction for the lowest income bracket.

8. Many Canadians and members of the riding are concerned with the state of the healthcare system, childcare system and education system. While these are in the power of the provincial government, does your campaign have any plans to do anything to bolster those systems and help Canadians feel like things are getting easier?

A: These are indeed all areas of provincial jurisdiction, but of course the federal government regularly invades provincial jurisdictions by offering to pay a high percentage of the bill for certain programs---but only if national standards are met. This use of funding, which will be withheld in the event of provincial non-compliance with federal standards, is referred to as the federal "spending power." The spending power is the basis for the Canada Health Act, for example.

My view is that in 2025, the federal government's role, in any area where it is using its spending power to influence an area of social spending which falls under provincial jurisdiction, ought to be to use that funding to create greater affordability for citizens. For example, any funding to municipalities for urban transport ought to be tied to creating more housing starts in the municipality that is receiving the funds, so that a greater supply of housing units will be created, and the price of housing, in that particular market, will become more reasonable.

9. Do you have any plans for bills or policies you will be bringing forth to the House of Commons if you are voted as this riding's candidate?

A: If re-elected, the likeliest thing for me to do would be to reintroduce Motion M-109, which would eliminate the possibility of using closure or time allocation, in the House of Commons, on changes to the Standing Orders.  I introduced Motion M-109 in the most recent parliament, and it was approved unanimously by MPs, but when the House rose in December it still had one more procedural hurdle to cross, and the early election call means that in practice, I have to start all over again.

10. Is there anything else you would like to say to the members of this riding?

A: For each of the past 25 years, I have honoured a promise that I made back in 2001, to make an annual donation, to a local charity, of the permanent $20,000 pay raise that we MPs had awarded to ourselves that year. In the past four years, I've donated to shelters and to food banks, because that's where the affordability crisis seems to have created the greatest need. I pledge to continue making these annual donations (which by now add up to over $500,000), as long as I continue to represent this electoral district.