Newly elected federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer made a pit-stop on his campaign trail at Langley’s Trinity Western University last December.
“I’m trying to visit every EDA (Electoral District Association) and every campus club I can, throughout the leadership race, to meet with and engage people,” the Saskatchewan MP told the Langley Times during his Dec. 1 visit to TWU.
“Here at this university there’s a very vibrant organization of young, active Conservative members and I want to bring my vision of the party and of the country to them and hear back from them: hear what their ideas might be and what their concerns might be.”
On Saturday, Scheer beat out 12 other candidates to replace former Conservative leader Stephen Harper.
The former speaker of the House of the Commons edged out Quebec MP Maxime Bernier.
A few months earlier, Scheer shared his views with the Times, about the federal Liberal government’s decision to accept Kinder Morgan’s proposal to twin the 63-year-old Trans Mountain pipeline to Burnaby, and reject Enbridge’s Northern Gateway oil pipeline across northern B.C. to Kitimat.
“I think it’s very important that we make these decisions based on objective criteria. The National Energy Board approved Kinder Morgan quite a while ago,” Scheer said. “The Liberals sat on it. Now they’ve killed Northern Gateway which is devastating news for out-of-work Canadians across the country both in the energy sector and in the manufacturing sector.”
Nixing Northern Gateway was a “very political decision,” Scheer told the Times.
“It’s a cold-hearted decision that’s going to cost the Canadian economy hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars.”
Changing subjects, Scheer said Langley is a “beautiful area.”
“I can see why people fall in love with British Columbia,” he said. “It’s a wonderful climate, wonderful people, and beautiful communities.”
In mid-February, just two months after his initial visit, Scheer returned to Langley for a Conservative leadership debate at Darvonda Nurseries greenhouse.
The three-hour “Debate in the Valley” was moderated by Conservative senator Yonah Martin.
During the debate, Scheer vowed to eliminate the Liberals’ carbon tax.
