Scheer spars with Trudeau on infrastructure

First key battle between PM, new Tory leader

For the first time since he was elected prime minister, Justin Trudeau squared off in Parliament on Monday against the adversary who will lead the official opposition into the next election.

It was also the first chance for Canadians to see the key battle in the new political landscape: 38-year-old Andrew Scheer, elected as Conservative leader on May 27, taking on the 45-year-old Trudeau — a showdown delayed due to Trudeau’s trip to Europe last week for NATO and G7 meetings.

But the question period clash, normally a highly charged theatrical affair, started on a sombre, nonpartisan note, as Scheer asked the prime minister for an update on the terrorist attack in London on Saturday that killed seven, including Christine Archibald of Castlegar, B.C.

Scheer took the opportunity to encourage Canadians to take up the call of Archibald’s family and “volunteer their time and labour, or donate to a homeless shelter, and tell them Christine sent you.” Archibald worked at a homeless shelter in Calgary before moving to Europe.

Trudeau, who had spoken to British Prime Minister Theresa May earlier in the day, expressed his condolences to the Archibalds and said Canada “stands in solidarity with the British people.”

The solemn exchange then promptly turned to the usual question period fare, with Scheer aggressively accusing Trudeau of deceiving Canadians over the proposed infrastructure bank.

With the government focused on getting its budget bill through Parliament before the summer break, the legislation is the main subject of opposition ire at the moment — and particularly the Canada Infrastructure Bank contained within.

The bank’s goal is to get expensive, nationally significant infrastructure built without relying entirely on public debt to pay for it. Instead, the government would inject just enough money to lower the risk to the point where privatesector firms were willing to invest in it.

Scheer’s Conservatives have so far taken a hard line against it, arguing the Liberals are “co-signing loans for the richest one per cent,” with taxpayers on the hook for projects gone bad.

Government officials held a technical briefing on the bank on Monday, saying it would be an optional funding tool for certain revenuegenerating projects (such as transportation projects with fares or tolls, or electrical or water infrastructure).

But Scheer, along with the NDP, spent question period demanding it be halted.

“The prime minister’s billionaire friends have talked him into the infrastructure bank,” Scheer said. “It is not too late to do the right thing. He can listen to those who have raised serious concerns about this $35-billion boondoggle waiting to happen.”

Trudeau responded that “drawing in private capital from around the world will get more things built for Canadians, will grow our economy, and create a better future for our kids.”