Vancouver mayor says Andrew Scheer would be worse than Harper

With just days to go until the federal election (Monday, October 21), Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart has weighed in with his thoughts, taking aim at one candidate in particular: Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer.

“Andrew Scheer would be worse than Stephen Harper,” the mayor said in a statement.

Stewart said he reached the conclusion after inviting all major federal leaders to Vancouver city hall and to discuss the key issues facing Vancouver, ahead of this year’s election.

“I started by meeting with Elizabeth May, then Prime Minister Trudeau, and finally Jagmeet Singh a few weeks ago,” he said. “On each of these main issues, all of these leaders expressed a willingness to work with Vancouver and a genuine desire to make things better.”

However, Stewart said Scheer refused to meet with him, “despite repeated invitations and even conversations” with “key” Conservatives.

• See also:
  • Scheer releases Conservatives’ full election platform
  • Barack Obama urges Canadians to vote for Justin Trudeau
  • Vancouver Granville voters weigh options with high-profile candidate amid pack
  • Vancouver mayor “fully supports” idea of banning handguns in the city

“And then I read his platform and it was shocking,” said Stewart. “I came away knowing one thing very clearly: Andrew Scheer would be worse than Stephen Harper.”

Despite his stance, however, Stewart stressed that he’s “not telling people” who to vote for.

“But I do want to tell people in Vancouver that if you care about these top issues: and I know most people do – Andrew Scheer would be worse than Stephen Harper.”