ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Federal Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer didn’t specify any amount but says if he’s elected he intends to work with Newfoundland and Labrador on rate mitigation.
Scheer was in St. John’s on Sunday afternoon for a brief visit to the province as the federal election campaign continues.
Scheer gave a similar answer to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, when asked about how a Conservative federal government would support rate mitigation efforts in this province once Muskrat Falls comes online: willing to work, but without specifics.
“This is something that I’ve heard through many of my visits here. It’s something that previous governments have dealt with. I had a conversation with Ches Crosbie about this, and other members of our team. We are talking about putting forward specific measures, as it relates to greening the grid, which is a general application across Canada,” he said.
“I will, of course, be working in a collaborative and constructive way to address the issues facing the people of the province.”
Scheer did not make a specific commitment on the $200 million figure included in the Liberal’s estimate for the cost of rate mitigation presented in April.
Scheer arrived on Major’s Path for St. John’s East candidate and Pouch Cove Mayor Joedy Wall’s campaign headquarters launch at around 5:15 p.m. He delivered brief remarks to a crowd of supporters, including provincial PC Leader Ches Crosbie, MHAs David Brazil, Kevin Parsons, and Jeff Dwyer, along with Conservative candidates Terry Martin (St. John’s South-Mount Pearl), Matthew Chapman (Avalon), and Sharon Vokey (Bonavista-Burin-Trinity). Senators Fabian Manning, Elizabeth Marshall, David Wells, and Norman Doyle came out to show their support for Scheer, along with former MP Bill Matthews and former Justice Minister Judy Manning.
A small group of protesters came to the campaign opening, asking Scheer to apologize for comments in 2005 comparing gay marriage to a “dog tail.”
“I would like to hear an apology and I would like him not to oppose transgendered rights.”
Scheer pointed to his participation in the November 2017 apology on behalf of the government of Canada to LGBTQ+ government employees, but declined to apologize outright for previous comments.
“Canadians know that the Conservative Party stands for equality rights of all Canadians, including the LGBT community,” he said.
“I was honoured to participate in the House of Commons when an historic apology was made to public servants who were persecuted, fired specifically because of their sexual orientation. We’re going to continue to be a voice for equality and individual freedom and tolerance for all Canadians, including LGBT Canadians.”
Scheer headed back to the mainland after taking time to speak with media.
Twitter: @DavidMaherNL
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