PC Leader Andrew Scheer and Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie take on the urban/rural divide on their ‘blind date’
Thestar.com
February 21, 2019
Jack Hauen
Big cities are growing, and small towns are shrinking.
That’s the issue at the heart of tonight’s episode of TVO’s Political Blind Date series, which sends two politicians out on a “date” to discuss divisive issues in Canadian politics.
Bonnie Crombie, Mayor of Mississauga, Ontario and former Liberal MP, sets out with Andrew Scheer, Conservative Party Leader, from Regina-Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, to see who should receive more government attention and support, populous cities or the rural communities that feed them? Episode 2 premieres February 21 at 9 pm on TVO and tvo.org/politicalblinddate.
In the 2015 election, the federal Conservatives were denied seats in Canada’s three largest cities: Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
Crombie and Scheer, who briefly worked with each other while Crombie was a Liberal MP, greet each other warmly with a hug.
“I don’t think we’ve seen those beautiful blue eyes in awhile,” Crombie says.
“I’ve always thought mayors get the best title: ‘Your Worship,’” Scheer says, bowing exaggeratedly.
But the two politicians quickly butt heads -- although politely. When Crombie questions former prime minister Stephen Harper’s commitments to cities, Scheer pushes back.
“I think if you compare the dollars flowing under our previous government versus what’s happening now, I’d be happy to stack up that record,” he says. “You know what, I’m gonna come to Mississauga well-armed with facts!”
The first part of the date sends the duo to the homesteads of two Saskatchewan farmers who say they’ve benefited from the abolishing of the Canadian Wheat Board in 2015, which one of the farmers, Faron Jones, says was a “breath of fresh air.”
Bonnie Crombie and Andrew Scheer, who briefly worked with each other while Crombie was a Liberal MP, butt heads (politely) on the newest episode of TVO’s Political Blind Date.
“There are so many jobs in Ontario thanks to our agricultural sector here,” Scheer says. “I think it’s important for people in Canada to realize how interconnected our economy is.”
For Crombie’s first portion of the date, she took Scheer to a suburban home in Mississauga and challenged him to guess what it would cost in Regina vs. what it actually costs, with the goal of impressing upon him the affordability crisis in major cities.
“You’re gonna put me on the spot,” he says. “I would guess in Regina depending on the neighbourhood, we would probably be looking at about 400 [thousand dollars].”
As for Mississauga: “Gosh, I don’t even want to guess,” he says. “Much more.”
The Leader of the Official Opposition, Conservative MP Andrew Scheer, rides the Number 19 bus in Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, while he reminisces about his first political job on a transit advisory board in Ottawa.
The real cost: $900,000.
“So you can see that families are stretched, that means they’re going into debt to buy homes,” Crombie says. “And I remember thinking that the average salaries ... in Regina are even a little bit higher than in Mississauga!”
Crombie also takes Scheer on public transit trip through Mississauga, where at one point he shouts to the crowded bus, “Let’s sing some bus-riding songs!” He is met with silence.
The TV series, which airs Thursdays at 9 p.m., sends politicians out on a “date” to discuss some of the most divisive issues of the day.
The Toronto Star is the series media partner and is providing an exclusive peek at two bonus scenes from tonight’s show.
The second season features politicians from across Canada who explore issues that may play key roles in this year’s federal election.
