Tories hope to win back Atlantic votes, say Liberals taking region for granted
HALIFAX — Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose told MPs and senators they need to earn back the trust of Atlantic Canadians, who did not elect a single Conservative last year under the leadership of Stephen Harper.
The federal Conservative caucus gathered for a two-day retreat in a downtown Halifax hotel Tuesday, hoping an east coast sojourn might help them regain ground in the region.
Ambrose criticized how the federal Liberals have treated the region since coming to power — naming an Ontario MP as minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and suggesting the east coast may lose its historic seat on the Supreme Court of Canada.
“They’re already taking all the support they’ve received for granted,” she said to caucus applause. “The people of Atlantic Canada deserve representation on the Supreme Court and that is what we are fighting for.”