Scheer says he and Ford share same goals
TORONTO — Federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer shrugged off suggestions Tuesday that Ontario’s premier was overshadowing him on matters of importance to the national Conservative cause, saying they simply shared common goals.
Scheer faced pointed questions about Doug Ford’s political influence after meeting with the Progressive Conservative premier at Ontario’s legislature, where the pair discussed such issues as their opposition to the federal Liberal carbon pricing plan.
Ford has been a strong critic of the tax, launching a court challenge against it and raising his opposition to it during recent trips to meet with Conservative political leaders in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Scheer, when asked whose brand was stronger, said he and Ford were both working toward improving life for Canadians.
Scheer dismissed suggestions that Ford was trying to replace him as the face of the federal Conservatives, noting that he had recently travelled to many of the same places the Ontario premier had been to.
“I was just in Nova Scotia at the provincial PC leadership there, I’ll be here in Ontario for the PC [convention],” he said. “I’ve been in Alberta for their PC leadership. There’s great co-operation between the provincial and federal parties when we have interests (and) common ground.”
In Ottawa, however, the federal minister of intergovernmental affairs suggested Ford had significant influence over Scheer.
“The Leader of the Opposition is at Queen’s Park today getting his marching orders from Doug Ford on Stephen Harper’s failed plan to deal with climate change,” Dominic LeBlanc said during Question Period. “Canadians expect better from the leader of the Conservative Party.”