The Honourable Andrew Scheer, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and of the Official Opposition, issued a statement on Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet’s comments yesterday following his meeting with Justin Trudeau:

“Mr. Blanchet’s comments yesterday toward western Canada were both insulting and completely disingenuous.

“Insulting because he accused westerners of faking a unity crisis when the frustration and anxiety out west is all too real. Disingenuous because he refuses to acknowledge how much his province has benefitted from the west’s economic success. His hypocrisy and double-standard are astounding.

“However, it is not surprising that the Leader of the Bloc Quebecois would display this attitude.

“The real problem is that Justin Trudeau has been sowing the seeds for divisive rhetoric like Mr. Blanchet’s for years. Trudeau has demonized energy workers, put hundreds of thousands of them out of work, and travels the world with a message that he wants to phase out Canada’s energy sector.

“While Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Blanchet keep dividing the country, Conservatives believe the energy sector has the power to unite Canadians. That’s why we ran on creating a National Energy Corridor that would get the energy sector back to work and allow every part of the country to take part in its success.

“Only Conservatives can keep Canada united and strong.”