Scheer promotes Conservative plan to create national energy corridor

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This article was published 28/09/2019 (2535 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

EDMONTON – Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer touted his plan for a national energy corridor Saturday, pitching it not only as a way to benefit the struggling oil-and-gas sector, but also the environment.

“This corridor will allow the federal government to take care of and address environmental concerns up front,” said Scheer, who was surrounded by workers at an energy-industry services company.

Scheer made the announcement in Edmonton, a day after hundreds of thousands of young people flooded the streets in cities across Canada to demand action from leaders on fighting climate change. The protesters also called for fossil fuels to stay in the ground.

He was the only major-party leader not to take part in any of the marches, but he said his energy-corridor plan takes the environment into account.

“This will allow the federal government (to work) with provinces to identify the environmental challenges that have to be addressed by project proponents, and then those proponents will have to meet those standards in order for projects to proceed,” he said. “So, this is a balanced approach that achieves the dual goals of protecting the environment and allowing Canada to extract its natural resources.”

Scheer said the activists he wants to support were those “who want the energy sector back on their feet.”

The national energy corridor would carry oil, gas, hydroelectricity and telecommunications from coast to coast, Scheer said: anything that might need to move long distances over land in more or less a straight line. Such a plan would increase certainty for investors, help get critical projects built and generate economic and social benefits for all Canadians, he said.

The energy corridor was first pitched by Scheer in May. He said western Canadian oil and gas benefits every province in this country, pointing to refinery jobs in the east and manufacturing jobs in Ontario and Quebec. The revenue goes to the federal government, which allows for money to flow into provincial programs for health and education, Scheer noted.

He didn’t put a timeline on the project, except to say he believes it can be achieved “in the medium term” and that work could be started within a four-year mandate.

The Conservatives said they would appoint a task force to provide recommendations that would consider Indigenous consultations, the role of provinces and a potential route for the corridor.

The co-author of a 2016 University of Calgary paper looking at the idea of such a corridor has said building it could take half a century and cost $100 billion.

Interest in a coast-to-coast corridor has picked up in recent years. The shortage of pipeline capacity out of Alberta has created a bottleneck that’s led to deep discounts for Canadian oil, harming both the provincial and national economies.

Scheer acknowledged it has become difficult to have all provinces support national projects like building pipelines. Quebec Premier Francois Legault has said there’s no appetite for a new pipeline going through his province.

Scheer later drove up to another campaign event in Alberta with Premier Jason Kenney. Standing in the bed of Kenney’s trademark blue pickup truck, the same one where they stood during Kenney’s campaign, they drew loud boos with every mention of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.

Despite saying earlier that he was not out of step with the people who participated in Friday’s climate rally, Scheer told the crowd “nothing drives me more crazy (than) when I see people protesting Canadian energy.”

Kenney told the large crowd of supporters that they would never be embarrassed by Scheer.

“This is not a prime minister who will have to apologize all the time,” Kenney said.

Scheer said Kenney had volunteered to join him on the campaign trail, and added that he’s met with provincial conservative leaders in Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. Scheer did not meet up with Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford during any of his stops in Ontario and would not say whether it would happen later in the campaign. Polling has suggested that Ford is hurting Scheer’s electoral chances in the province.

Scheer and Kenney, a former Tory MP and cabinet minister, have known each other for almost 20 years and the premier is godfather to one of Scheer’s children.

The duo later went to a Filipino restaurant together in Edmonton Mill Woods, a riding the Conservatives are hoping to take back after Amarjeet Sohi won it for the Liberals in a tight race in 2015. About 50 people filled the restaurant as the two politicians shook hands and posed for photos. A child went up to Scheer and said, “my parents are going to vote for you,” and the room erupted in applause.

Glenn Elle, who was there with his mother, who had just received permanent-resident status in Canada, asked for a photo, addressing the leader as “Mr. Scheer.”

“Call me Andrew,” Scheer replied.

The Conservative campaign continued to Scheer’s home province with a stop in Saskatoon at the farmer’s market Saturday evening. In a speech to a crowd of hundreds, Scheer tapped into Saskatchewan Roughrider pride, sharing that his brother-in-law, Jon Ryan, plays for the team and joking that he’d ensure supporters made it home to watch Saturday night’s game against the Toronto Argonauts.

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The Conservatives are hoping their candidate Brad Redekopp (who first sought but lost the Tory nomination in Saskatoon University) will turn the riding of Saskatoon West blue. The New Democrats edged out the Conservatives in a tight race between all three major parties there last election.

A handful of climate demonstrators briefly grabbed attention at the rally by tapping on the windows and holding up signs. In turn, Scheer supporters inside covered the windows in Conservative signs. Scheer left the building from a different exit and did not directly face the demonstrators, but he told supporters he was proud to live in a country where people could protest.

Tianna Greyeyes, who described herself as a land and water protector, said it’s important that leaders accept that climate change exists. She said, especially as an Indigenous person, it’s important to send the message that the land is borrowed.

“Me and my Indigenous people are still here,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2019.