Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has suggested the new leader of the federal NDP could be a more "authentic" champion for left-wing issues than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Scheer made the remark during a question-and-answer session after he addressed the Vancouver Board of Trade Thursday morning. Board chair Anne Giardini asked Scheer how the election of Jagmeet Singh as NDP leader could change the "competitive landscape" for Tories.

Scheer began by pointing out that Trudeau is now the oldest of the three main federal party leaders. Both Scheer and Singh are 38, while the prime minister will turn 46 next month.

I disagree with just about every single one of his positions but I have a tremendous amount of respect for who he is as a person.Andrew Scheer on Jagmeet Singh

"Finally we have two young leaders of a party and then we have the more senior Trudeau who is quite a bit older than us," he joked. "Jagmeet and I have a real opportunity to be a real voice for the younger generation of Canadians."

The Tory leader said he has spoken with Singh a few times and lauded him as a " very dynamic individual" with a "fascinating" personal story.

"I disagree with just about every single one of his positions but I have a tremendous amount of respect for who he is as a person," Scheer said.

However, the Tory leader said he is confident his message has the "potential to resonate" with different types of voters, including those on the left motivated by issues such as the environment or housing.

"The problem that Conservatives have had in the past is that we sometimes project the idea that we don't care about these issues that the left preoccupies itself with, those don't concern us," he said. "The reality is we do care. We just know that our solutions solve the problem."