ESTEVAN - The projected front-runner in the federal Conservative Party leadership race was in the Estevan area Wednesday morning and early afternoon.
Pierre Poilievre stopped by the farm of local farmer Jason LeBlanc to meet with local agricultural producers and energy sector workers.
They told him they want to see the carbon tax scrapped. Poilievre has previously been a vocal opponent of the tax.
“We need to produce more energy and import less from abroad,” he said in an interview with the Mercury. “Secondly, they were concerned about this 30 per cent cutback in fertilizer that (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau is pushing. He wants this done by 2030.”
That would negatively impact production in food output, Poilievre said, and it would hurt farmers’ bottom lines while making food more expensive.
Poilievre said he would reverse that policy and allow farmers to get more efficient in their use of fertilizer.
He did not visit the carbon capture and storage facility at the Boundary Dam Power Station while in Estevan, but hopes to eventually come back to tour the site.
“It’s an inspiration to know that local industry is protecting the environment by putting the carbon back where it came from, so that can continue to create jobs and opportunities for people, produce affordable energy but also protect the environment. So I think the whole world can learn something from this technology.”
Poilievre said he supports further federal investment in the facility “in principle.” The former Conservative government committed money to CCS at Boundary Dam back in 2008.
“Like anything else, I need to know exactly what the investment was, and what exact proposal would be put forward.”
Poilievre’s stop in the Energy City was part of a tour of the province. After leaving Estevan, he travelled to Regina for evening events. He expects this will be the last time he’ll be in Saskatchewan before the winner of the leadership race is announced Sept. 10.
He opted to be in Saskatchewan on Wednesday rather than participate in the final debate for the candidates. Leslyn Lewis also chose not to participate.
Poilievre was critical of the direction of a debate in Edmonton that included a question about binge-worthy television shows.
“I didn’t want to waste my time on another clown show like that, when I can be out talking to the party members who signed up to support me in order to get them out to vote.”
The next edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.
