David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @Kathryn98967631 and 48 others
Methinks if folks are taking this seriously then they do not understand the nature of a Circus N'esy Pas?
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/05/scheer-outlines-vision-for-canada-that.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/national-northern-corridor-1.5150036
Scheer outlines 'vision for Canada' that includes national corridor for energy, telecom
4007 Comments
Helen MacKinnon
anyone else hear harper whispering from that retaining wall behind andy? Or was it the oil lobbyists?
David Amos
Reply to @Helen MacKinnon: Who is Harper?
Jeff Bourns
Blandy's vision of Canada, solely for the rich and corporations, all others are merely fodder for the first two.
David Amos
Reply to @Jeff Bourns: Who is Blandy?
Steve Wilson
So we finally see the outline of the new Conservative environmental plan, it's the Doug Ford Plan, repeal, reverse and regress every environmental gain made under Liberal governments and take away all environmental rights to clean water, air and land currently belonging to Canadians and hand them over to any corporation that wants to make a cheap buck.
Scheerly he must be kidding. Meet the new Harper, same as the old Harper.
David Amos
Reply to @steve wilson: "Scheerly he must be kidding. Meet the new Harper, same as the old Harper."
Is Blandy and Harper the same dude?
John Worley
He just lost 95% of BC . Now I see why Harper saw him only as the Speaker.
David Amos
Reply to @john worley: Methinks these Harper and Blandy dudes are irritating everyone N'esy Pas?
Dwight Williams
Andrew Scheer has no realistic plan to confront climate change. We've kicked the can down the road as far as we can. We cannot afford a conservative government. Not now, maybe never. At least not as long as it effectively denies the reality of climate change for al intents and purposes.
It's really very black-and-white to me.
David Amos
Reply to @Dwight Williams: Methinks many agree that another liberal tax scheme is not going to change the climate N'esy Pas?
Awistoyus Nahasthay
Yawn....what was that andy...did you say something?
Jason Tremblay (JasonDiggy)
Reply to @Awistoyus Nahasthay:
And I didn't even see Harper's mouth move.
David Amos
Reply to @Jason Tremblay (JasonDiggy): Who is the Harper dude?
Jim MacDougall
Who is this guy?
David Amos
Reply to @Jim MacDougall: "Who is this guy?"
I have been asking
Eugene Packet
Everyone needs to sit back and take a very scheerious look at things. But alas Andy just doesn't have it in him to be a Prime Minister. Time for the conservatives to just move along
David Amos
Reply to @Eugene Packet: "Everyone needs to sit back and take a very scheerious look at things."
Methinks if you are taking this seriously then you do not understand the nature of a Circus N'esy Pas?
Will Morgan
Scheer's energy corridor will rank as the most ridiculous proposal ever, even taking into account Trump's ocean to ocean wall.
David Amos
Reply to @will morgan: Welcome to the Circus
Mark Gregory
So Scheer is against Bill C-69 which Kenney is okay with - should be interesting not to say amusing!
David Amos
Reply to @Mark Gregory: YUP
Scheer steps back from his deficit promise — and denies Trudeau a weapon
5451 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.
Cara Beaton
Scheer is only backing off because he saw the dismal polls putting support/approval forFords government behind the Ontario Liberals! Wow, how unpopular is that!
Guess he doesn't want to be seen supporting the unpopular Ford. But here's the thing, what he said is what he supports and it's out there. Can't take it back just because!
Stew Gotz
Reply to @Cara Beaton:
...and you believe a fakke news poll that suggests that the Conservatives and Liberals are tied in Ontario even though the Liberals have fewer seats that a Dodge Caravan? I have swamp land in Florida for sale...if your interested?
David Amos
Reply to @Stew Gotz: Methinks we should ask if the gators in your swamp have a taste for federal or provincial politicians N'esy Pas?
Josh Miller
Scheer breaks his promises even before being elected. More promises will be broken,, stay tuned,
David Amos
Reply to @Josh Miller: "More promises will be broken"
Golly Gosh Josh Please Say You Were Only Fooling and That It Ain't So
Daryl Dixon
Never trust a conservative.
David Amos
Reply to @daryl dixon: "Never trust a conservative."
Methinks you don't have many friends in Fundy Royal N'esy Pas?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fundy-royal-riding-profile-1.3274276
"Fundy Royal voters have elected Conservatives all but 1 time in 28 elections over 101 years"
James Holden
Conservatives continue to push the falsehood that they are the fiscally responsible party when statistics show quite the opposite.
David Amos
Reply to @James Holden: YUP
Brian Lee
Scheernis all about the moment and the election. He doesn't have a plan, beyond being in power.
Edward Peter
Reply to @Lloyd Jones: You do not vote for the Leader or Party you vote for the local Candidate, he they feed you BS pick somebody else, and tell them why you are changing. Voting for the Party opens you to foreign Hackers, etc.
David Amos
Reply to @Edward Peter: "You do not vote for the Leader or Party you vote for the local Candidate"
Methinks its strange that most folks don't seem to get that fact until their MP gets booted from their beloved party N'es Pas?
Methinks its strange that most folks don't seem to get that fact until their MP gets booted from their beloved party N'es Pas?
Herman Desroches
Day
after day after day Scheer is proof that he and his minions have no
concept on how to run a country. Trudeau may have some faults but they
are minuscule in comparison to Scheer.
Jack Richards
Reply to @Herman Desroches: Seriously.
David Amos
Reply to @Jack Richards: Welcome to the Circus
Mar Pell
Scheer is already backtracking on his missing platform.
How can the cons ever even think of voting for that party. Federal and provincial.
David Amos
Reply to @Mar Pell: "Scheer is already backtracking on his missing platform."
Surprise Surprise Surprise
Jennifer McIsaac
The Ford love affair looks like it is fading as the reality of budget balancing is looking a bit dangerous for Scheer given the growing anxiety about Ford and his buddies in Ontario.
Of course elect-ability is what it is all about not what is good policy or principles.
After incessantly criticising Trudeau for the deficits. Scheer has now flipped and sees that rushing to slash and burn to balance the budget may not be the great idea that it once seemed.
Well you cannot have it both ways and Scheer certainly looks as though he blows with the wind. As a possible future PM he certainly looks like just another populist after power, unable to define a sure set of policy objectives. Just not suitable to be Prime Minister.
David Amos
Reply to @Jennifer McIsaac: "Scheer certainly looks as though he blows with the wind. As a possible future PM he certainly looks like just another populist after power"
YUP
Larry Falk
Thank the lord we have a leader like Justin and not Trump.
David Amos
Reply to @Larry Falk: "Thank the lord we have a leader like Justin and not Trump."
Methinks many would agree that Trump is leading Trudeau around N'esy Pas?
Jim S Powers
Scheer no costing platform on anything
that would be like walking into a store and it has zero price tags
until check out . then you get handed the bill
David Amos
Reply to @Jim S Powers: "then you get handed the bill"
Methinks he does not want to spoil the surprise he hopes to spring on us N'esy Pas?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/national-northern-corridor-1.5150036
Scheer outlines 'vision for Canada' that includes national corridor for energy, telecom
Conservative Leader would repeal Bill C-69, end ban on tanker traffic through northern B.C.
On Saturday in Calgary, Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer laid out his party's vision for Canada's future resource development.
There were short-term fixes, but also a long-term pitch for a national energy corridor that Scheer said he believes Canadian premiers will embrace.
"I want to talk about a national corridor that would move Canadian oil, gas, electricity, telecommunications and potentially anything else that runs along the ground," he said.
Scheer compared his big idea to another big one from another century.
"I believe a national energy corridor can do for Canada what the railway did in the early days of Confederation," he said.
Pre-approved status
Without specifying geography, cost, or timeline, Scheer said he believes there's a will among different provinces to find a way to agree to create a route that will move Canada's natural resources across the country through an area where there will be a kind of pre-approved status that would provide the kind certainty that the private sector craves.
Obviously it's going to take a lot of work to find the right balance between Indigenous concerns and environmental concerns and any provincial issues- Andrew Scheer, Conservative LeaderThat included increasing refining capacity in New Brunswick, exporting hydroelectricity in Quebec and Manitoba, and shipping oil and gas to tidewater and to eastern Canada from Alberta.
"I'm optimistic. I believe there's a recognition of the need for it," Scheer said.
"Obviously it's going to take a lot of work to find the right balance between Indigenous concerns and environmental concerns and any provincial issues. There may be a lot of private property concerns for any individuals who may be living along the proposed route.
"But if we don't start now, then it'll never happen," he added. "And what we've seen in the country in the last four years under this Liberal government is that our resources are becoming landlocked.They're not being able to be developed.
"Big projects aren't able to get done."
"I believe in the benefits of our natural resources — not just in their ability to create wealth, prosperity and opportunity, but their power to bring Canadians together from right across the country," he said.
6-point plan
In the short term, that vision was articulated as a six-point plan that would see a Conservative federal government, if elected:
- Scrap the carbon tax.
- Repeal Bill C-69, a bill to revamp environmental assessment of energy projects that Scheer calls the 'no more pipelines' bill.
- End a ban on tanker traffic in northern B.C.
- Ban foreign-funded advocacy groups from participating in the regulatory process.
- Assert federal jurisdiction where necessary.
"Now we can pretend — as some do — that the world doesn't need oil and gas anymore," Scheer said. "But that's simply not true, and it sells Canada short."
"Let's not forget before Justin Trudeau became prime minister, we had three private companies willing to invest more than $30 billion to build three nation-building projects that would have created tens of thousands of jobs and generated billions in economic activity," he said.
"Those companies — Kinder Morgan, Enbridge and TransCanada — continue to invest in pipelines," he added. "Just not in Canada."
Watch: Andrew Scheer explains vision of national energy corridor
CBC News Calgary
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer on his plan for a national energy corridor 1:24
Clean energy part of plan
When asked by CBC's Helen Pike where clean energy fit into his vision, Scheer said Canada can be a world leader in creating clean technology.
"Obviously clean energy will be a big part of our environmental plan which we will be announcing in a few weeks. Around the world, Canada needs to lead the way and develop those world-class leading technologies — and use them to ensure that other countries can benefit from that to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as well.
"What we do know is the advancements made in Canada's energy sector — especially here in Alberta — we've come so far, we've developed so many new technologies right here at home reducing the environmental impact of energy extraction here in Canada.
"We're going to continue to do that and continue to make investments and incentives for further development in investment and research and development in clean energy and in renewable energy."
Failing Canadians
In an emailed response, Vanessa Adams, the press secretary for Minister of Natural Resources Amarjeet Sohi, pointed out former prime minister Stephen Harper's failure at getting pipelines built.
"The Conservatives spent a decade failing our energy sector and failing Canadians," she wrote. "For 10 years they ignored Indigenous communities, environmental and local concerns. And for 10 years, they got nothing built to new markets.
"Andrew Scheer's plan is no better," she added. "He's making it up on the fly. And he will use the same outdated approach.
"Canadians won't be fooled. The result will be the same."
About the Author
With files from Helen Pike and Nelly Aberola
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/scheer-trudeau-deficit-election-1.5148248
Scheer steps back from his deficit promise — and denies Trudeau a weapon
The Liberals were counting on tying Scheer to the Ford government's austerity. That's going to be harder now.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer speaks about his economic vision at an event hosted by the Canadian Club of Vancouver, in Vancouver, on Friday May 24, 2019. (Darryl Dyck/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
It's far too soon to measure the full
extent of Justin Trudeau's political legacy, but he has now managed at
least one truly remarkable achievement: he has persuaded the
Conservative Party to admit that balancing the federal budget, even
outside of a recession, is not absolutely necessary.
Trudeau might wish he hadn't been so successful.
In a speech to the Canadian Club of Vancouver on Friday, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said a government led by him would seek to "phase out" the current deficit in the "medium term" — five years, to be specific.
That new timeline is a significant departure from what Scheer promised when he was seeking the leadership of the party two years ago.
At that time, Scheer claimed that he would not be deterred by the skeptics.
"A lot of people think that a two-year target for a balanced budget is too aggressive. That it can't be done. I reject that," he said in a video posted to Twitter on March 27, 2017.
"I think it's very important to have an ambitious timeline to return this country back to balanced budgets. Because every year that we're in deficit, we're borrowing money from my children and spending it today."
This was the moral imperative that the Conservatives attached to the deficit, to explain why it needed to be balanced without delay.
"If Justin Trudeau can rack up $30 billion deficits in just one year," Scheer concluded, "surely Conservatives can return Canada back to balanced budgets in two years."
Surely! But also, maybe our children will forgive us for waiting another three years.
Scheer's current argument is that it would be irresponsible to balance the budget too quickly.
This new position rests on the suggestion that the federal government's fiscal situation has somehow deteriorated over the last two years. But the official balance sheet actually hasn't changed much. If anything, the federal situation has improved.
Five
days before Scheer posted that video to Twitter, Finance Minister Bill
Morneau tabled his third budget, with projections that cast forward as
far as 2022. At that time, Morneau projected deficits of $23.4
billion, $21.7 billion and $18.8 billion for the fiscal years 2019-2020,
2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
In the most recent budget, tabled two months ago, Morneau projected deficits for those years of $19.8 billion, $19.7 billion and $14.8 billion. In 2022-2023, the deficit is expected to decline to $12.1 billion.
The next year (what would be the fourth year of a Scheer government), the deficit is projected to be $9.8 billion.
The more significant differences between 2017 and 2019 would seem to be political. For one thing, Doug Ford is premier of Ontario. For another, Scheer is preparing to campaign in a general election.
The Ford government tabled its first budget in April and it has spent every week since trying to justify and explain its cuts to provincial services and programs. Ford campaigned on a promise that balancing the provincial budget would be easy and relatively painless. That turned out not to be the case. And now the pain is being felt by Ford's Progressive Conservatives, whose public support has plummeted.
Trudeau's Liberals were already associating Ford's actual austerity with Scheer's plans for the same, eagerly projecting what a two-year return to balance would look like. Scheer seems to have taken stock of all that and decided that sticking to his original timetable wasn't worth the trouble.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's post-budget polling struggles made him a useful weapon in the Liberals' argument against the Scheer Conservatives - until Scheer softened his deficit pledge. (Collision Conference/YouTube)
Sidestepping the deficits the Harper government ran between 2008 and 2015, Scheer's Conservatives have spent much of the last four years lamenting the fact that the federal budget is not balanced. That was in keeping with both the theoretical tenets of conservatism and the political orthodoxy that has existed since the mid-1990s, which held that a balanced budget was the hallmark of a properly managed federal government.
Trudeau might wish he hadn't been so successful.
In a speech to the Canadian Club of Vancouver on Friday, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said a government led by him would seek to "phase out" the current deficit in the "medium term" — five years, to be specific.
That new timeline is a significant departure from what Scheer promised when he was seeking the leadership of the party two years ago.
At that time, Scheer claimed that he would not be deterred by the skeptics.
"A lot of people think that a two-year target for a balanced budget is too aggressive. That it can't be done. I reject that," he said in a video posted to Twitter on March 27, 2017.
"I think it's very important to have an ambitious timeline to return this country back to balanced budgets. Because every year that we're in deficit, we're borrowing money from my children and spending it today."
The moral imperative
This was the moral imperative that the Conservatives attached to the deficit, to explain why it needed to be balanced without delay.
"If Justin Trudeau can rack up $30 billion deficits in just one year," Scheer concluded, "surely Conservatives can return Canada back to balanced budgets in two years."
Surely! But also, maybe our children will forgive us for waiting another three years.
Scheer's current argument is that it would be irresponsible to balance the budget too quickly.
This new position rests on the suggestion that the federal government's fiscal situation has somehow deteriorated over the last two years. But the official balance sheet actually hasn't changed much. If anything, the federal situation has improved.
I will balance the budget in 2 years. I will undo the fiscal damage that Justin Trudeau has done. Will you join me? http://www.andrewscheer.com/join
In the most recent budget, tabled two months ago, Morneau projected deficits for those years of $19.8 billion, $19.7 billion and $14.8 billion. In 2022-2023, the deficit is expected to decline to $12.1 billion.
The next year (what would be the fourth year of a Scheer government), the deficit is projected to be $9.8 billion.
The more significant differences between 2017 and 2019 would seem to be political. For one thing, Doug Ford is premier of Ontario. For another, Scheer is preparing to campaign in a general election.
The Ford effect
The Ford government tabled its first budget in April and it has spent every week since trying to justify and explain its cuts to provincial services and programs. Ford campaigned on a promise that balancing the provincial budget would be easy and relatively painless. That turned out not to be the case. And now the pain is being felt by Ford's Progressive Conservatives, whose public support has plummeted.
Trudeau's Liberals were already associating Ford's actual austerity with Scheer's plans for the same, eagerly projecting what a two-year return to balance would look like. Scheer seems to have taken stock of all that and decided that sticking to his original timetable wasn't worth the trouble.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's post-budget polling struggles made him a useful weapon in the Liberals' argument against the Scheer Conservatives - until Scheer softened his deficit pledge. (Collision Conference/YouTube)
Sidestepping the deficits the Harper government ran between 2008 and 2015, Scheer's Conservatives have spent much of the last four years lamenting the fact that the federal budget is not balanced. That was in keeping with both the theoretical tenets of conservatism and the political orthodoxy that has existed since the mid-1990s, which held that a balanced budget was the hallmark of a properly managed federal government.
Even if the parliamentary budget officer consistently found that federal finances were "sustainable" — and some economists shrugged at the numbers involved — the complaint persisted, in part because Trudeau himself had promised that the budget would be returned to balance by 2019.
The Conservatives have lambasted Trudeau for backtracking on that commitment. But now Scheer has abandoned his own promise.
The Liberals lose a talking point
Deficit hawks might decry the concession. But it's the Liberals who might be most disappointed. They were surely looking forward to running against a promise of more dramatic cuts.
The prime minister might find some solace in the fact that he seems to have succeeded in moving the conversation. In the fall of 2015, when he acknowledged that the Liberals would run a deficit, it was considered a bold and potentially ruinous admission. Nearly four years later, his Conservative opponent is having a hard time promising to balance the budget.
There will still be a debate here over the Liberal spending plan versus a Conservative proposal to spend something less. The Liberals will have to justify their spending, the Conservatives will have to explain what they won't spend. The example of Ford's government — which is also promising to balance the provincial budget over a five-year timeframe — will still be cited.
But the great debate over the absolute importance of balancing the federal budget is now a bit less pitched.
About the Author
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