Anyone for a summer election? Hoback prepared with climate change a major issue

“I can’t be caught unexpected,” Hoback told paNOW. “So, I’m assuming there is a possibility of an election at any time, possibly during July, but the rumours in Ottawa when I left two weeks ago were an election in August.”

Is a clean-shaven Justin Trudeau portraying a fresher look for the electorate or simply reflecting the brighter mood surrounding the pandemic? (The Canadian Press)

Trudeau— clean-shaven and now regularly maskless— is currently in British Columbia, the third province on his cross-country tour, following visits to Alberta and Saskatchewan. Whether removing his pandemic beard at the end of June was simply in tandem with the reopening of barbershops in Ontario, or a deliberate move to align his image with a fresher, younger look (for at least a segment of the electorate anyway), is a matter of debate. He suggested his tour is all about highlighting the work his government is doing.

Opportunism?

But Hoback said the speculation of an election pointed to opportunism on Trudeau’s behalf at a time when most Canadians are just starting to catch their breath after a year of COVID, and looking at the summer to get together with family and friends. He said an election is not what’s wanted right now.

“We have an opportunistic Prime Minister who will look at the polls and if he thinks he can get a majority government he will go to the polls,” Hoback said.

Meanwhile, Hoback said he was already preparing to ‘double down’ in getting out to the public come August and discuss what his party’s policies are all about, given the COVID restrictions end on July 11.

And while the economy, including badly dented businesses like the tourism and hospitality sector, are important post-pandemic, Hoback concedes climate change has become crucial too.

The climate battleground

In recent weeks the minority Liberal government has made key announcements regarding climate change; moves that will appeal to voters who see the environment as an increasingly important issue. For example, it wants all light-duty vehicles to be zero emissions by 2035 rather than by 2040, and there were hundreds of millions of dollars promised to help get an Ontario steelmaking plant get off coal.

And of course much has been made of the recent deadly heatwave in western Canada as being a symptom of global warming. For Hoback, it’s a key issue.

“We have a balanced climate action plan and I look forward to talking to people about it and the benefits it would bring to Saskatchewan’s economy in sectors like agriculture and forestry in getting paid for the carbon they capture and sequest.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at an international climate conference with U.S President Joe Biden. (The Canadian Press)

In a 15-page policy document signed by leader Erin O’Toole, the Conservatives have published their ‘Secure The Environment’ plan.

“We will fight climate change and protect the environment, but we won’t do it on the backs of working Canadians or by hurting the economy. Canadians can’t afford Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax hike,“ it states.

In April, Trudeau announced at an international climate summit this country would cut carbon emissions by 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

Canada’s supreme court recently upheld the government’s national carbon tax which is aimed at financing the ambitious transition to net-zero emissions by 2050.

-with files from The Canadian Press

glenn.hicks@pattisonmedia.com

by Glenn Hicks

Anyone for a summer election? Hoback prepared with climate change a major issue

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