Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer visits Niagara
On a sweltering hot Saturday, Federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer found one of the cooler spots in Niagara to meet 300 supporters for a barbeque. Henley Island in St. Catharines provided the backdrop with a cool breeze off the water as the crowd of Tory supporters eagerly dined on burgers and Canada Day cake while lining up for pictures with their party leader.
The event was organized by St. Catharines Conservative Riding Association member and St. Catharines City Councillor Mike Britton along with the Niagara Falls Riding Association. Britton also was the evening’s emcee. “It was an honour to have Mr. Scheer here in Niagara and having such a large turnout with just a week’s notice is a testament to the support the Party has here in this Region,” said Britton.
With Parliament recessed for the summer the Leaders of the major political parties will most assuredly spend the next few months doing the barbeque circuit as a 2019 election looms. Scheer started his summer visiting Niagara along with local MPs Rob Nicholson and Dean Alison.
Scheer, the 39-year-old Saskatchewan MP, who is a former Speaker of the House of Commons, in fact he was the youngest ever speaker at the age of 32, was the late ballot winner of the Tory Leadership race in 2017. He and his 6’5” frame, standout in a crowd not just because of his imposing size, but because he is such an affable fellow. He was relaxed and very engaging with everyone that lined up to meet him.
Sheer’s keynote speech was filled with light political humour and some partisan swipes at Justin Trudeau and the governing Liberals. He paid particular attention to highlighting the Liberal’s Carbon Tax and his party’s recent assault on the government’s lack of transparency with Canadians on the actual cost of the tax to citizens.
Carbon taxes are applied to electricity, fuel for personal transportation and natural gas and heating oil. Estimated new tax costs to Canadians have varied from $10 billion per year by the Parliamentary Budget Officer to $35 billion per year as estimated by McGill University Professor Chris Ragan. On a per household basis, more recently University of Calgary Professor Jennifer Winter in a report for the Senate Standing Committee on Energy estimated the tax costs will range from $1206.00 per household in B.C., to $2240.00 per household in Nova Scotia. Ontario came in at a hit of $1,414.00 per year per household.
Many current and former politicians were in attendance including Regional Chair Alan Caslin, Wainfleet Mayor April Jeffs, Regional Councillor and former Tory MPP Bart Maves, former Regional Chair Peter Partington, former Ontario PC Cabinet Minister Norm Sterling (the man who allowed beer on golf courses!), and St. Catharines Councillor Sandie Bellows.
