The Conservative leadership race is over, and the contestants who pushed the envelope with more provocative policy ideas didn’t make the cut. They included Michael Chong, with his support for carbon taxes, Maxime Bernier, with his call to end supply management, and Kellie Leitch, who pushed for a “values” test for new Canadians.

Instead, consensus candidate Andrew Scheer won the day with a more cautious platform. So how will Scheer handle policy development for the party as it prepares for the 2019 election? Rachel Curran, a former policy director for prime minister Stephen Harper, joined us on the podcast to discuss the possibilities.

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Read Rachel Curran’s Policy Options article on policy-making in the Conservative party here, and Jennifer Ditchburn’s Policy Options column on Andrew Scheer’s policy challenges ahead here.

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Photo: Conservative MP Andrew Scheer and his wife leave an announcement surrounded by Members of Parliament Wednesday September 28, 2016 in Ottawa. Scheer announced he would seek the leadership of the Conservative party. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

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