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In some parts of the country, there is still antipathy towards Harper, and the Liberals are trying to stoke those negative opinions, said Tim Powers, a Conservative strategist and vice-chairman of Summa Strategies. On the other hand, “hardcore Conservatives will love it,” he said.

Powers said the Liberal strategy “makes sense” because Harper is visible.

Whether that’s deliberate or not, it might help the Liberals a little bit.”

Still, Scheer “can’t be looking over his shoulder for the ghost of Stephen Harper,” he added.

While Harper’s re-emergence seems to be coinciding with the Liberal branding exercise, he’s been active in global commentary and events since leaving office, said Rachel Curran, Harper’s former director of policy who currently works as a senior associate with Harper and Associates Consulting.

Curran said the Liberal attempt to paint Scheer and Harper with the same brush won’t hurt the Conservatives because Harper left the party in a strong position. She said if Scheer is able to build on that in 2019, the party will be in good shape.

Scheer 'can't be looking over his shoulder for the ghost of Stephen Harper'

As for whether Harper is looming over Scheer, Curran said there’s room for both of them.

“I don’t think Stephen Harper has to disappear entirely to make room for Andrew Scheer. Similarly I think Andrew Scheer has done a good job at putting his stamp on the party and developing his own policy direction certainly without any help from Mr. Harper.”

Curran said when the Liberals label Scheer’s party as “Harper Conservatives” it’s because they want to re-fight the 2015 election.

“Given the number of times they’re now referring to Stephen Harper in question period and elsewhere, it’s clearly a strategic decision.”

Many Conservatives allege the Liberals have polling numbers that show they need to attract or keep voters who could be tempted to vote NDP — and that’s what is motivating the strategy.

Since the Liberal convention in April, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Liberal MPs following his lead have been persistent in linking Scheer and Harper as cut from the same cloth.

“And if there’s one thing — and there may be only one thing — we’ve learned about the Conservative party under Mr. Scheer’s leadership, it’s this: It may be Andrew Scheer’s smile. But it’s still Stephen Harper’s party,” Trudeau said at the convention in Halifax.