Conservative platform to come closer to election: Scheer

Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer says Canadians will have to wait until “closer” to the next federal election to learn about the party’s platform.

“As we get closer to the next election, Canadians will have a comprehensive Conservative platform that will speak to making life more affordable and getting our country back on track,” Scheer told CTV’s Power Play’s Vassy Kapelos in an interview on Thursday.

Scheer’s comments come after the NDP pulled out of its supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberals on Wednesday, increasing the likelihood that a federal election could happen sooner than scheduled.

Following the announcement, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called upon the NDP to vote for “a carbon tax election at the earliest confidence vote in the House of Commons.”

Asked multiple times by Kapelos about whether Canadians deserve to know the Conservative party’s objectives if an election were to happen soon, Scheer said “absolutely” but would not elaborate further.

“Well, Canadians absolutely deserve to know a political party’s platform before they vote, and that is what will happen,” Scheer told Kapelos.

On Thursday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called Poilievre “callous,” saying he will cut programs like child care and dental care if he is elected prime minister.

“Let me be clear, Conservative cuts would take things from bad to worse,” Singh told reporters.

When pressed by Kapelos about those concerns, Scheer would not answer directly.

“Since Justin Trudeau took office, there have been hundreds of millions of dollars in waste and corruption. There’s been billions of dollars in big programs that don’t deliver any results,” Scheer said.

The Conservatives have faced questions for months about the party’s platform and whether it would cut any programs to address the federal deficit.

In an interview with CTV Question Period last December, Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman had a similar answer to Scheer, saying Canadians will learn about the party’s plans to “rein in” government spending during the next federal election campaign.

“We’re going to present a plan during the election to give Canadians the very clear choice,” Lantsman said at the time.

You can watch CTV Power Play’s full interview with Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer at the top of this article.