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Politics, unlike physics, is not governed by immutable laws. The unexpected, such as Andrew Scheer’s victory as the new Conservative Party leader Saturday, is always possible.

But if any such statutes do apply, it is perhaps Newton’s third law of motion — for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction.

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There are many upsides to Scheer’s election, but his elevation creates an equal number of challenges.

The new leader was once elected Speaker of the House of Commons by his colleagues because of his amiable, consensual style. It was those qualities that got also him elected Saturday — his main selling point was his ability to keep the party together and present a positive message at the next election.

Candidates like Kellie Leitch risked reducing a decade of multicultural outreach to ashes, in reckless pursuit of the leadership. By contrast, Scheer was cautious to the point of catatonia — concentrating on existing policy that everyone already agreed upon and offering very little that was bold or new.