Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre ditched the suit and donned some safety glasses to tour Shield Group of Companies in Mount Pearl this Tuesday.
By Mark Squibb
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre was given a warm welcome by staff at the Shield Group of Companies building in Mount Pearl, which he toured Tuesday afternoon.
Also in attendance were supporters such as MP ‘Common Sense’ Clifford Small, Senator David Wells, and former PC MHA Steve Kent.
Poilievre’s message was simple — “Axe the Tax. Build the homes. Fix the budget. Stop the crime,” and met with much applause.
Poilievre commended Shield’s workers, who manufacture products for the energy, marine, and industrial sectors across the province, for their hard work and dedication in learning a trade.
“As a result of your hard work, you’re due something, which is a good house, decent food, and a secure future with a comfortable retirement,” said Poilievre. “That’s the Canadian promise.”
It’s a promise, said Poilievre, that has been broken by both the Liberals and the NDP.
Poilievre hit on a number of talking points in his 10-minute address, including his plan to repeal Bill C-69, environmental assessment legislation that Conservatives such as Poilievre have dubbed the ‘anti-oil-and-gas-act.’ Other topics included increasing housing costs and inflation, crime, and, of course, the carbon tax.
“The good news is that life was not like this before Trudeau and the NDP and it won’t be like this after they’re gone,” said Poilievre to a round of applause. “We are going to have a carbon tax election, where people will decide between the NDP-Liberals who will tax your food, punish your work, take your money, double your housing costs, ban your hunting rifle and unleash crime in your community, or common-sense Conservatives who will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget, and stop the crime.”
It’s a message that is resonating with Canadian voters. An Abacus Data Poll dated August 11 shows the Conservatives leading the Liberals by about 20 points for the sixteenth consecutive poll. According to Abacus, if an election were held on August 11, some 43 per cent of committed voters would have voted for the Conservative Party while 23 per cent would have voted for the Liberals.
When asked about the poll numbers, Poilievre told The Pearl that folks gravitate towards the Conservatives ‘common-sense approach.’
“People want a commonsense government that will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, and right now, we don’t have that,” said Poilievre. “Trudeau is taxing your food, punishing your work, doubling your housing cost, and unleashing crime and drugs into your community. Common sense Canadians agree with me and my plan to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget, and stop the crime.”
As to the housing crisis, Poilievre said he would require local governments speed up the permitting process, free up land, and cut development taxes to build 15 per cent more homes per year as a condition for receiving federal funding. He will also sell federal land to make way for more homes.
Poilievre also promised direct funding to union and non-union training halls and better provision of Red Seal material in high school, saying Canada needs “boots, and not suits to build homes.” He also promised to change tax laws to allow trades workers to write off the full cost of food, transportation, and accommodation, as they move from one job to another.
Poilievre also criticized Trudeau’s ‘catch-and-release criminal justice system.’
“We see the same small group of criminals doing all the crime,” said Poilievre. “The good news is that there aren’t many of them. The bad news is that they’re productive.”
Poilievre said he would get rid of bail, house arrest, parole and probation for anyone with a long rap sheet.
“It’ll be jail, not bail,” said the Conservative Leader.
Poilievre briefly touched on the Liberal Party’s former attempts to ban certain hunting rifles.
“I want to protect Canadians from criminals, Trudeau wants to protect turkeys from hunters,” he quipped to much applause. “You decide what makes more sense to you.”
Poilievre’s tour of the industrial site wrapped up his two-day tour of Newfoundland. Previous stops this trip included Lewisporte, Gander, and New-Wes Valley.
