Photo: The Canadian Press

Ontario PC Party leadership candidate Caroline Mulroney.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer painted a stark vision of the political battle on the horizon Friday as party faithful gathered in the national capital to plot a course towards a ballot-box victory in 2019.

The choice, Scheer told the Manning Networking Conference in his first major speech to conservatives since becoming leader last May, won't be between left and right.

"It's now a question about being free or unfree," said Scheer, seeking to finally define himself — and redefine his party — as a viable choice for voters 20 months from now.

"The choice is whether Canada will continue as a free and open country, or whether Canadians will live their lives afraid to say what they think, always looking over their shoulders before they dare to suggest that maybe, just maybe, the government is not the solution to every problem."

Scheer pilloried Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for appearing to forget the lessons of history, tossing out a quip about Trudeau's memory perhaps dulled by his admitted past use of marijuana.

The 1990s taught people about the dangers of deficits, yet Trudeau wants to run them, Scheer said.

He alluded to the Liberals' efforts to normalize relations with Iran, saying he thought the lesson of what happens when dictators are appeased had also been learned, as had what happens when free speech is suppressed.

"In the 21st century it is necessary for us as a society to re-fight those fights," Scheer said.

"It adds another dimension to the next election."