The Conservative Party MP for Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan says he's "shocked" and "very disappointed" that the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Andrew Scheer, has stepped down.

Scheer announced his resignation in Ottawa Dec. 12, after allegations arose suggesting that Scheer had using Conservative Party funds to pay for his children's private school tuitions.

"Quite frankly, I was shocked and very disappointed. Andrew and I go back a long way. I was very involved in Andrew's leadership campaign."

Scheer was first elected as an MP to the Conservative Party in 2004, the same year as Lukiwski, and was voted party leader in 2017.

"I still think to this day that Andrew would make a tremendous Prime Minister," Lukiwski said. "I appreciate the fact that he's made a very difficult decision. Primarily because of his children and his family. He hasn't been able to spend as much time with them as he would like because of his duties as a national leader."

When asked if he thought there was any truth to the allegations against Scheer, Lukiwski said he doesn't think so.

"This is normal practice where parties routinely cover costs for moving, for differences in schooling, that type of thing when new leaders come on the scene. This has been done for years and years, with various leaders, so there's nothing to that in my opinion."

Lukiwski himself is no stranger to controversy. In 1991 a video of him surfaced in which he stated homophobic remarks. In 2005 he was sued for libel. In 2015, a reporter from the former Moose Jaw Times Herald accused Lukiwski of stating a slanderous remark against NDP candidate Karen Purdy. 

Scheer said that he will remain in his position until a replacement leader can be elected.