Scheer marks the countdown of one year before the federal election with a campaign speech

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer marked the beginning of the one-year countdown to the 2019 election with a campaign speech that directly addressed the Liberal government's record – on all issues, from carbon taxes to ethics going through budget deficits.

Scheer even made an impression on the man he had succeeded to head the Conservatives – former Prime Minister Stephen Harper – in criticizing the federal finance management by the Trudeau government.

"Do you remember those? Do you remember those tiny temporary deficits? Scheer said smiling Sunday at an Ottawa convention center, raising his right thumb and forefinger in front of the laughing crowd of party supporters.

Scheer was referring to the Liberal commitment in 2015 to reduce annual deficits by $ 10 billion and balance the books by 2019.

After gaining Harper's power, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau abandoned the wish, citing a weaker-than-expected economy and the need to invest in the country's long-term growth. The Liberals ran a $ 19 billion deficit last year and have not yet set a timetable to restore balance, despite the strengthening of the economy.

The deficits should be at the heart of the Conservatives' attacks in the run-up to the next election on October 21, 2019.

In 2015, Harper had frequently targeted Trudeau's promise of deficit while campaigning. Harper, reputed to be serious, made waves on social media by making a similar gesture on the part of teens about the Liberal promise to close the deficit.

"He's going to run," he says, "with a modest deficit, a small deficit – so small you can barely see the deficit," Harper said of Trudeau, sarcastically curled up.

In his Sunday address, Scheer reviewed a list of other areas in which he believes the Liberals are vulnerable.

He highlighted the central plan of the Liberal carbon tax – which he described as a "revenue plan" to fill the coffers of the government – and the ethical issues that led to reprimands. from the federal Ethics Commissioner.

Scheer pointed out that the Ethics Commissioner had ruled that Trudeau himself had contravened the Conflict of Interest Act with respect to his vacation on a private island in the Bahamas belonging to the United States. Aga Khan.

He also pointed to the failed Energy East gas pipeline that was to transport crude oil from Alberta to the east (a project it promised to revive, if elected), as well as a trade agreement put in place. day with North America which, according to him, had brought no gain in Canada.

In "the one-year sprint until the end," Scheer said to his support that the Liberals will throw everything to the Conservatives.

"It's going to get worse, it's going to get mean," said Scheer, who insisted that Trudeau also had the media and the experts on his side.

According to recent polls, the Liberals are relatively well placed before the Conservatives and the NDP – but many things can change in 12 months.

The Conservatives have seen momentum in recent months.

First, the Conservatives won a key by-election in the Saguenay region of Quebec, a province that will be a crucial battleground before next year's vote. Last month, former Liberal MP Leona Alleslev surprised her colleagues by announcing that she would leave the ruling party to join their conservative rivals.

"I may be a little late at the party – but better late, hopefully, than ever," Alleslev told the crowd Sunday before Scheer came on stage.

In his speech, Scheer also pointed to the encouraging emergence of new Conservative governments in the provinces, including the two largest: Ontario and Quebec.

"We have more and more allies in the offices of the country's prime ministers who will help us implement our vision of reduced taxation, reduced government and greater individual freedom for Canadians. 'ocean to sea,' he said.

The Conservatives have also suffered setbacks.

Maxime Bernier – one of Scheer's rivals for the Conservative leadership – left the party in the summer and called his former leader and colleagues "intellectually and morally corrupt" before fleeing.

The member from Quebec subsequently launched his own federal Conservative political party.

Bernier's decision angered the Conservatives, who argued that adding another party on the right side of the political spectrum would divide the vote and allow the Liberals to easily win another majority government.