Liberals exaggerating, Scheer says

FOOD GUIDE REVIEW

ST- HYAC INTHE, QUE . • On a visit to an agricultural fair in a battleground riding east of Montreal Tuesday, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer defended his promise to review the Canada Food Guide in order to make the document reflect research put forward by the country’s food industry.

Scheer drew the Liberals’ ire last week after he told dairy farmers in Saskatoon the guide is flawed. Health Canada’s new guide did away with traditional food groups and portion sizes and focused instead on broader guidelines, including eating more plant-based protein and drinking more water.

The Liberals say the document has received an overwhelmingly positive response, including from nutrition experts. They allege Scheer is bowing to special interests and declaring war on Health Canada’s research.

“Their reaction is exaggerated and merits an Oscar for acting,” Scheer said in St-Hyacinthe, Que., about 60 kilometres east of Montreal.

“There are (industry) sectors saying their information was not included,” he added.

While Scheer rejected Liberal accusations he was pandering to the agricultural industry, he and the province’s dairy farmers have a history together.

Scheer’s former rival for the leadership of the party, Maxime Bernier, accuses him of colluding with the province’s farmers in the last months of the 2017 race. Bernier says roughly 10,000 Quebecers joined the Tories during that period but didn’t renew their membership the next year.