Above: Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer speaks with Sturgeon County candidates and business owners Alanna Hnatiw and Wayne Bokenfohr at a meet-and-greet at Putnam and Lawson Tuesday afternoon. – Lucie Roy Photos
by Lucie Roy
Morinville News Correspondent
A meet and greet with the Honourable Andrew Scheer, P.C., M.P., Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, and Dane Lloyd, Conservative Party Candidate for Sturgeon River-Parkland took place Tuesday afternoon under a big white tent in the Putnam & Lawson Parking lot.
More than 60 people, young and old attended the event to hear the two speakers. The event was followed by a roundtable of local business owners.
Conservative candidate Dane Lloyd is representing the party in the federal by-election called for Oct. 23 to fill the seat formerly held by Rona Ambrose.
Lloyd said he wanted to make sure people were aware that there is a by-election happening, and that Election Canada should be sending letters in the mail of when and where to vote.
“In this election I want people to think about what kind of government they want in Ottawa,” Lloyd said. Do they want a government that will raise taxes, carbon taxes, small business taxes, family farm taxes, taxes on employee discounts – or do they want a government that will cut taxes, stand up for pipelines like Energy East and Northern Gateway, and that will stand up for the rights of victims of crimes and their families through sensible policies like the no body-no parole for convicted killers.”
Lloyd said by-elections are important because governments read into the results to give them an idea of what Canadians are thinking of their policies.
“I think Canadians need to send a strong message in this by-election that they are not happy with Justin Trudeau and getting out to vote for the Conservative candidates it will give Justin Trudeau some pause to rethink some of his disastrous policies,” he said.
Party leader Scheer said he was in Morinville and area to support Lloyd, adding he’d heard a lot of issues throughout his meetings Tuesday.
Top of the list for Scheer is the Liberal tax hike on small businesses, the agricultural sector, the latter something Scheer said is making it more difficult to keep the farm in the family.
He also spoke with people involved in the health district and how it is much more difficult to recruit doctors, medical and professionals in rural areas.
The Conservative leader said in speaking with some business owners they feel that they are under attack by the government. Measures the government want to close to small corporations are tax measures businesses have used to save up to expand or to hire workers.
Scheer said the cancellation of Energy East is another devastating blow to our economy.
“I think more and more Canadians are realizing that billions of dollars of investment have left the country because of government policies, whether provincially here in Alberta or nationally, with Justin Trudeau,” Scheer said. “Billions of investment that would have created jobs that would have helped improve our economy, put people back to work has left the country for possibly years to come. because of government decisions.”
Scheer went on to say Energy East is an opportunity to have a national energy vision where Canada could be self-sufficient, and not have to import oil from other countries.
“As a result of Trudeau’s’ policies, it is being cancelled, and foreign oil will continue to flood into Canadian markets because Justin Trudeau failed to get Energy East approved.”
After the meet and greet, Scheer and Lloyd met in the Putnam & Lawson conference room with 10 local business owners to hear local business concerns.
1 Trackback / Pingback
Comments are closed.