Pierre Poilievre slams federal carbon regulations coming into effect July 1
Federal Conservative leader stops in N.B. this week, political scientist says Poilievre will be back
The Saint John area can expect to see a lot more of federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre in the next couple of years, says J.P. Lewis, a political scientist at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John.
"I would be shocked if Poilievre did not come back to Saint John before the next election," said Lewis as Poilievre continued his "axe the tax" tour through New Brunswick on Tuesday.
In fact, Lewis believes Poilievre will be back several times as the federal Conservatives are likely eyeing the riding currently held by Liberal Wayne Long, who has said he will not re-offer.
Lewis said the newly created riding of Saint John-Kennebecasis — which largely mirrors the current Saint John-Rothesay riding, but would include the town of Quispamsis — will be hotly contested in the next federal election.
"I think this is a riding that the Tories would see they need to pick up if they think they're going to be able to form a minority government. And if they're forming a majority government, they have to win this riding," said Lewis.
He's also not surprised by the timing of Poilievre's arrival in New Brunswick.
Lewis said there are a number of variables the party would consider in deciding Poilievre's travel plans.
At the moment, he said New Brunswick is an "attractive" stop to allow Poilievre to weigh in on a number of issues that people are currently talking about — the discussion surrounding Policy 713, the provincial cabinet shuffle and the carbon tax set to increase on Canada Day.
'Build our own pipelines, use our own oil'
Poilievre began his New Brunswick "axe the tax" tour on Monday in Saint John, a place he says has "incredible potential."
With an efficient shipping terminal, "a great refinery," and surrounded by natural resources, he said there are "countless reasons why this should be one of the most prosperous places on planet Earth," he said.
"But we've got a federal government that is waging war on our energy sector right now, favouring foreign production rather than domestic."
He said 130,000 barrels of overseas oil arrive in Saint John "every single day, even though we have the third-biggest supply of this stuff right beneath our feet."
Poilievre said he would "repeal the anti-energy laws so that we can produce our own energy, build our own pipelines, use our own oil and export our energy to the world."
He also said there's a business case to be made to develop the "1,200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas right beneath our feet."
"We have the big supply. We also have the shortest shipping distance to Europe and to Asia from North America. And we also have the clean energy with which to power liquefaction facilities."
Federal regulations take effect July 1
Poilievre's visit came on the eve of a significant increase to gasoline prices in New Brunswick as the new federal clean-fuel regulations take effect on Saturday.
On Monday, he told a crowd of supporters gathered in Saint John that increased carbon costs will hit New Brunswickers particularly hard. He laid the blame squarely on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"We see him applying this tax on the Irving refinery. Irving then can't compete with its U.S. competitors who don't have to pay the same tax," said Poilievre. "So then Irving has to put the price on consumers here in New Brunswick."
He then commended Premier Blaine Higgs "and the New Brunswick government for standing up and fighting back against Trudeau's tax."
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