“It’s time for change.”
Conservative leader Erin O’Toole used that rallying cry among others as he tried to bolster the fortunes of Conservative candidates and supporters during a campaign rally stop at Harris Barn in Ladner Saturday night.
O’Toole and his family were greeted to a raucous ovation from the 100-plus supporters who came out for the event when he entered shortly after 7 p.m.
He then spoke for about 15 minutes outlining the Conservative platform as well as offering support for Delta candidate Garry Shearer.
He then posed for pictures and spoke with supporters individually.
“I want to start by thanking our candidate Garry Shearer for organizing this event. You and I first met when I was reaching out to business leaders, chambers of commerce across B.C. I spoke with 30 virtually and one in person. Garry understands the needs of small business, the needs of entrepreneurs,” said O’Toole. “He will be a great Member of Parliament because he will help get Delta and B.C. back to work after COVID-19. A strong British Columbia is vital to a strong Canada coming out of a tough year for our country. I’m looking forward to working with our B.C. team to get our country back on track and secure our future.”
O’Toole also spoke of his career in the military and how those 12 years serving this country has put him in a great position to now lead this country.
He also reiterated his support for the Massey Tunnel replacement, which he committed to funding if elected last week.
“This election for Canadians at those crossroads is about who can get this country back on its feet and rebuild our economy,” he said. “This election is about who you think can secure the future for all Canadians coming out of the most difficult year in our lifetimes.”
Before O’Toole arrived, Shearer spoke with the Optimist for a few minutes.
He said he was thrilled to have O’Toole in the riding.
“This is amazing that we have him very early in the campaign,” said Shearer. “Right across the country he is bringing up the energy of all of our ridings and I’m so happy to have him here tonight.”
Shearer said six days into the campaign “things are going great.”
“We have been knocking on a lot of doors and talking to a lot of people. We are getting a lot of encouragement about our platform and our recovery plan. We are the only party that has come out with a detailed plan and people are starting to recognize that, saying we have to start taking you guys seriously,” he said. “You seem to be very organized and ready to take on the challenges of this country.”
Shearer said the challenge with the Massey Tunnel replacement project would be with the environmental assessment.
“As we have seen with the Vancouver Port Authority this is quite a long process, so I hope that the environmental study will be within the timelines. Unfortunately it will be 2030 before we see anything, but we can’t do anything about that now. Let’s just get shovels into the ground and get this done.”
