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Greg McLean

My most important goal is to restore jobs and prosperity to Calgary. To do that, we must restore investor confidence, especially in oil & gas. We must repeal Bills C-69 (anti-pipeline) and C-48 (tanker ban) and show investors that Alberta is open for business and ready to work.

Agriculture & Food

Canada Grain Act

Conservative's promise

Modernize the Canada Grain Act and Canadian Grain Commission, with a focus on consultation with farmers; Return $130 million in overcharged user fees from the CGC to farmers.

Education & Training

Job training

Conservative's promise

Work with colleges and universities to make sure courses, programs, and academic curricula reflect labour demands; Make sure government retraining programs meet demand for skills required.

RESPs

Conservative's promise

Raise the government's contribution to an RESP from 20% to 30% for every dollar invested up to $2,500 a year.

A couple who begins contributing $25 a month to an RESP right after their child’s birth will receive $1,620 by age 18. That’s $540 more than they would receive currently.

Another couple that is able to invest $50 a month will receive $3,240 in government contributions by age 18. That’s $1,080 more than they would receive currently.

Low-income parents will receive 50 per cent on the first $500 they invest every year. Today, they only receive 40 per cent.

From Andrew Scheer announces plan to boost the RESP, retrieved 2019-10-08.

Environment, Climate Change, & Energy

Carbon pricing

Conservative's promise

Remove the federal price on carbon.

Conservation

Conservative's promise

Reestablish the Hunting and Angling Advisory Panel to give hunters and anglers input into decisions on protecting natural habitats.

Green buildings and housing

Greg McLean's promise

Buildings represent 12% of Canada's GHG emissions (85 MT). We will help Canadians do retrofits and upgrades to make their homes more energy efficient, saving up to $3800 a year; and (according to Enviro Economics), permanently reducing Canada's emissions by 9 MT per year.

MORE DETAIL:

Conservatives will introduce a Green Homes Tax Credit for green home renovations and improvements. Canadians will be eligible to receive a 20% refundable credit for green improvements to their homes of over $1,000 and up to $20,000. This will allow Canadians to save up to $3,800 on their renovations each year.

- The Green Homes Tax Credit will save Canadians money in the short term and in the long term. These home improvements do not just save energy; they can also save money through lower home energy costs. Green home improvements can contribute to the value of your home as well.

- We want to encourage all Canadians to play a part in the fight against climate change. In 2017, buildings represented about 12 per cent of Canada’s emissions, or 85 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. The Green Homes Tax Credit will help reduce emissions here at home.

- The Green Homes Tax Credit is a two-year plan to encourage and incentivize Canadians to adopt green home improvements.

- Enviro Economics estimates that the Green Homes Tax Credit will reduce emissions by 9.02 megatonnes, resulting in energy savings that remain permanently after any retrofitting is complete.

Conservative's promise

Introduce a 20% refundable credit on family's income tax for green improvements to their homes over $1000 and up to $20,000.

Installation of high-quality insulation

Investments in high-efficiency furnaces

Replacement of doors and windows with more efficient models

Upgrading of ventilation, heating and cooling systems

Installation of solar panels

From Scheer announces Green Home Renovation Tax Credit to lower greenhouse gas emissions, retrieved 2019-10-08.

Major energy projects

Conservative's promise

Create a national energy corridor to carry Canadian energy & resources from coast to coast; Repeal Bill C-69; End ban on shipping traffic on the north coast of BC; Build the Trans Mountain Pipeline; assert federal jurisdiction over projects that are "for the general advantage".

We will replace Bill C-69 with a new process that sets clear expectations and timelines for environmental reviews. This will secure and maintain investment in Canada's energy sector as we restore confidence and certainty.

Further, we will reduce politicization of the review process and make sure that all designated projects undergo a rigorous consultation process. Foreign funded groups will be banned from using the approvals process to blog energy projects that are in our national interest. This new process will adhere to world-class environmental standards.

A new Conservative government will work collaboratively with provinces, territories, industry, and Indigenous groups.

From Andrew Scheer's Plan for You to Get Ahead, retrieved 2019-10-11.

To promote mutually beneficial conversations between Indigenous communities and resource project proponents, we will provide $10 million per year to the organizations that foster collaboration and encourage strong partnerships between these two groups.

From Andrew Scheer's Plan for You to Get Ahead, retrieved 2019-10-11.

Threats from climate change

Conservative's promise

Incorporate a mitigation and adaptation lens to infrastructure investments, with communities identifying and addressing risks; Pursue natural infrastructure projects to provide low-cost protection against floods, drought, and water quality issues; Invest in wildfire technology.

Waste & pollution

Conservative's promise

Work with provinces and municipalities to put an end to raw sewage being dumped in waterways; Review and modernize air quality standards; Reinstate the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up fund; Ban export of plastic waste.

Government & Democracy

Conflict-of-interest

Conservative's promise

Introduce real penalties for violations of the Conflict of Interest Act; Disallow the indirect holding of shares by Cabinet ministers; Increase oversight powers of the Ethics Commissioner to request additional information about the content of meetings.

Government security

Conservative's promise

Conduct periodic cyber security penetration testing on all government departments; Establish a Cabinet Committee on Cyber Security and Data Privacy.

Lobbying

Conservative's promise

Prohibit those charged with a criminal offence from lobbying for changes to laws that would benefit them in their own criminal proceeding; Increase oversight powers of the Lobbying Commissioner to request additional information about the content of meetings.

Public service whistleblowers

Conservative's promise

Shift burden of proof from whistleblowers to employers in cases of reprisals; Provide legal & procedural advice to any public servant seeking to make a protected disclosure or file a reprisal complaint; Expand current protections to include those working on government contracts.

Health

Autism

Conservative's promise

Work with stakeholders to develop a National Autism Strategy; Invest $50 million over five years to develop a comprehensive strategy in consultation with autistic individuals, autism organizations, governments, and Indigenous communities.

Disabilities

Conservative's promise

Decrease the number of hours spent per week on life-sustaining therapy needed to qualify for the Disability Tax Credit from 14 to 10; Expand the definition of what counts as life-sustaining therapy.

This new Act will reduce the number of hours spent per week on life-sustaining therapy needed to qualify for the credit from 14 to 10. It will also expand the definition of what counts as life-sustaining therapy to include determining dosages of medical food and activities related to determining dosages of medication, including dietary or exercise regimes. This would allow 35,000 more Canadians with disabilities the potential to access savings of an average of $2,100 a year.

From Andrew Scheer to expand eligibility criteria to access Disability Tax Credit, retrieved 2019-10-08.

Wait times and access

Conservative's promise

Invest $1.5 billion in a first term to purchase MRI machines and CT machines to replace and add machines across the country; Provide $15 million to implement the Framework on Palliative Care in Canada.

Housing

Home heating

Conservative's promise

Remove the GST from home heating costs.

Home ownership

Conservative's promise

Modify the mortgage stress test to ensure first-time homebuyers aren't unnecessarily prevent from accessing mortgages; Remove the stress test from mortgage renewals; Increase amortization periods to 30 years for first-time homebuyers.

Housing supply

Greg McLean's promise

1. Fix the mortgage stress test 2. Increase amortization periods to 30 years for first-time homebuyers 3. Launch an inquiry to root out corrupt practices that inflate housing prices. 4. Make surplus federal real estate available to increase the supply of housing.

MORE DETAIL:

1. Fix the mortgage stress test to ensure that first-time homebuyers aren’t unnecessarily prevented from accessing mortgages; and work with OFSI to remove the stress test from mortgage renewals to give homeowners more options.

2. Increase amortization periods on insured mortgages to 30 years for first-time homebuyers to lower monthly payments, and make home ownership affordable.

3. Launch an inquiry to root out corrupt practices that inflate housing prices.

4. Make surplus federal real estate available for development to increase the supply of housing.

Conservative's promise

Make surplus federal real estate available for development to increase the supply of housing; Introduce a Build More Homes Competition for municipalities.

To empower municipalities to build more homes, a new Conservative government will introduce the Build More Homes Competition. This competition will reward municipalities that have proven to reduce red tape that stands in the way of new home construction.

From Andrew Scheer's Plan for You to Get Ahead, retrieved 2019-10-11.

Speculation

Conservative's promise

Launch an inquiry into money laundering in the real estate sector; Work with industry partners to eliminate practices that inflate housing prices.

Illicit Drugs & Overdoses

Opioid crisis

Conservative's promise

Revise the Canadian drugs and substance strategy to focus on helping Canadians recover from addiction.

Immigration, Refugees, & Borders

Economic immigration

Conservative's promise

Increase the number of points awarded for a job offer under the Express Entry Program; Match international students finished university with jobs; Provide new economic immigrants info about opportunities outside of urban centres; Rework the Temporary Foreign Workers Program.

To reduce duplication and ease the application process, we will create a trusted employer system so that companies do not have to constantly re-apply to the program. We will establish clear standards and timelines for Labour Market Impact Assessment processes and revise the zoning regions to make sure rural areas and tourism hotspots are not lumped into large geographic areas with urban hubs.

To ensure that those who enter Canada as low-skilled workers, as justified by concrete labour market data, are treated fairly, we will establish a path to permanence by allowing employers to sponsor applications for permanent residency. Immigration is good for the economy, good for jobs, and good for people who have chosen to come to Canada.

We will continue to monitor the Temporary Foreign Workers Program to ensure that it is achieving its intended results: supporting Canadian businesses with genuine labour needs, while also ensuring that Canadians get the first crack at jobs in our country.

From Andrew Scheer's Plan for You to Get Ahead, retrieved 2019-10-11.

Refugees

Conservative's promise

Remove the cap on privately sponsored refugees; Ensure departmental resources are sufficiently focused on privately sponsored refugees; Prioritize genocide survivors, LGBTQ+ refugees, and internally displaced people in the Government-Assisted Refugees program.

Indigenous Issues

Indigenous rights

Conservative's promise

Appoint a Minister for Consulting Indigenous Rights Holders.

International Relations

Human rights abroad

Conservative's promise

Use Canada's Magnitsky legislation to target hostile regimes such as Iran.

International assistance

Conservative's promise

Cut 25% of foreign aid spending; Provide additional military and non-military support to Ukraine.

Jobs & the Economy

Adoptive Leave

Conservative's promise

Introduce a 15-week EI adoption leave modelled on the EI maternity leave. Income received will be tax-free.

Entrepreneurship & small business

Conservative's promise

Repeal tax increases on small business investments; Exempt spouses from tax increases on small business dividends; Make it easier to navigate tax system; Reduce federal regulations by 25%; Implement a 2-for-1 rule for new regulations; Assign a Minister to lead red tape reduction.

Repeal Trudeau’s tax increases on small business investments

Exempt spouses from Trudeau’s tax increases on small business dividends

Make it easier to navigate Canada’s tax system and the Canada Revenue Agency

Reduce federal regulations by 25 per cent

Implement a 2-for-1 rule for new regulations

Assign a Minister reporting directly to the Prime Minister to lead red tape reduction efforts

Mandate ministers and regulators to support innovation, economic growth, and global competitiveness

Champion Canada’s small businesses to the world

From Scheer pledges support to small businesses, retrieved 2019-10-08.

Interprovincial trade

Conservative's promise

Convene a first ministers' meeting to establish a new comprehensive and effective free trade agreement; Expand the Red Seal programme.

Manufacturing jobs

Conservative's promise

Review the tax system to improve Canada's competitiveness, including in the manufacturing sector; Reduce the regulatory burden by 25%; Diversify Canada's trade toward emerging markets and reduce dependence on the US by signing free trade agreements with Mercosur, ASEAN, & the UK.

Pensions

Conservative's promise

Require all federally-regulated companies to report on the solvency of their pension funds; Allow the transfer of underfunded pension plans to a more successful plan; Restrict bonuses for executives of companies going through bankruptcy.

Public infrastructure

Conservative's promise

Ensure regions receive a fair share of infrastructure funding with budgets for each; Scrap the Infrastructure Bank; Fund George Massey Tunnel Replacement, Yonge Subway Extension, & 3rd link between Quebec City & Levis; Proceed with projects committed to by the Liberals.

 - Set aside a separate fund for rural and remote communities.

Justice, Crime, & Law Enforcement

Deferred Prosecution Agreements & SNC-Lavalin scandal

Conservative's promise

Launch a judicial inquiry into the SNC-Lavalin scandal; Allow the RCMP to access information protected by cabinet confidence by making an application to the Supreme Court.

Gangs

Conservative's promise

End automatic bail for gang members awaiting trial and revoke parole for those who associate with their former gang following release; Identify known gangs as criminal entities; Bring in tougher sentences including 5-year mandatory prison sentence for violent gang crime.

End automatic bail for gang members awaiting trial and revoke parole for any gang member who associates with their former gang following release.

Identify known gangs as criminal entities in the Criminal Code, similar to how terrorist organizations are currently listed.

Bring in tougher sentences, including a five-year minimum mandatory prison sentence for violent gang crime, with a new five-year minimum mandatory prison sentence for possession of a smuggled firearm.

From Andrew Scheer releases Conservative plan for A Safer Canada, retrieved 2019-10-08.

Guns

Conservative's promise

Create a CBSA firearms smuggling task force to intercept illegal firearms at the Canada-US border; Strengthen background checks for gun licenses and make it a crime to provide a firearm to anyone who has been prohibiting from owning one.

Human trafficking

Conservative's promise

Strengthen human trafficking laws, including consecutive sentences for those who are convicted on multiple counts of human trafficking; Ensure Canada meets commitments under the Palermo Protocol.

Prisons and prisoners

Conservative's promise

Tie parole eligibility to job skills training; Take steps towards statutory release & replace it with earned parole; Continue to fund extant rehab programs focusing on literacy, numeracy, anger management, & addiction; Require all necessary admin work complete before release.

 - End unescorted day passes from prison
 - End the prison needle exchange program
 - Require full body scans for those who enter prison

Military & Veterans

Defence funding

Conservative's promise

Depoliticize military procurement.

Veterans

Conservative's promise

Enshrine a Military Covenant between the government and veterans to guarantee every Veteran is treated with respect and provided timely services; Clear backlog of benefit applications within two years; Create a reliable, dependable pension system; Strengthen transition services.

Enshrine, in legislation, a Military Covenant between the Government of Canada and all Canada’s Veterans. This will guarantee that every Veteran is treated with respect and is provided services in a timely manner.

Clear the current backlog of Veterans’ benefit applications within 24 months.

Create a reliable, dependable pension system that, unlike the Liberal status quo, is fair to Canada’s most disabled Veterans.

Strengthen transition services to support discharged or retired Canadian Armed Forces members.

Strike an independent inquiry to provide answers about Canadian Armed Forces members who were administered mefloquine.

Provide more service dogs to Canadian Veterans in their communities.

Put vital commemoration projects, like the National Memorial for Canada’s War in Afghanistan, back on track.

From Andrew Scheer promises more support for Canada's Veterans, retrieved 2019-10-08.

Natural Resources

Competitiveness & Natural Resources Canada

Conservative's promise

Set up a task force of experts to engage with industry, Indigenous communities, and other concerned Canadians, to increase confidence in Canadian resource development.

Fisheries

Conservative's promise

Create advisory panels to rebuild critical stocks; Increase support for Salmonid Enhancement program; Restore community-led Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program; Make stock recovery a strategic focus; Combat Seafood Fraud; Create a Modern Aquaculture Act.

We will double the price of the Salmon Conservation Stamp in BC for non-residence, with the proceeds going to the Pacific Salmon Federation.

To ensure that we can rebuild and maintain our important fish stocks, we will ensure that recovery plans are completed for all of Canada's critical fisheries. These plans will include strategies for responsibly managing predators and invasive species, like fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador and other regions have been asking for.

To recover our critical stocks and support this important task, a new Conservative government will make critical stock recovery a strategic focus for scientific research conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

To guarantee that local voices are heard, we will ensure that the process for creating Marine Protected Areas (MPA) does not ignore the concerns of coastal communities. {{{toMarkdown}}}...{{{toMarkdown}}} We will implement a process that is reasonable and timely but respectful of communities. We will reinstate up-front consultations with communities and stakeholders before determining protected area boundaries.

To make sure our hones Canadian fishers and vendors are not cheated, we will work with industry to develop a strategy to prevent seafood fraud and mislabelling which also creates food safety and health risks.

We will increase pathogen testing for open pen aquaculture sites so that we can identify and control risks to wild stocks. At the same time, this will allow the aquaculture industry to build confidence in its practices. We will also encourage the development and adoption of technology that can help to lower the risks associated with contact between wild and farmed salmon.

From Andrew Scheer's Plan for You to Get Ahead, retrieved 2019-10-11.

Forestry

Conservative's promise

Establish a Task Force on the Woodland Caribou; Increase funding to control pest species in national parks and on federal lands.

Technology

Artificial Intelligence

Conservative's promise

Apply regulatory standards for the ethical and secure use of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, and create a Canada Cyber Safe brand.

Privacy protections

Conservative's promise

Ensure companies collecting electronic data from Canadians have plain language terms of use agreements; Form an expert committee with industry leaders to define binding cyber security standards for critical infrastructure sectors and penalties for non-compliance.

Science & Innovation

Conservative's promise

Review innovation programmes to ensure they're supporting Canadian companies with patents, technologies, and economic benefits that remain national.

Transit & Transportation

Public transit options

Conservative's promise

Introduce a Green Public Transit Tax Credit on transit passes allowing for unlimited travel within Canada on local transit options.

The Credit will be for transit passes that allow for unlimited travel within Canada on local busses (sic), streetcars, subways, commuter trains, and ferries. Some electronic fare cards and weekly passes can be eligible if they are used on an ongoing basis.

From Andrew Scheer to reduce cost of public transit, retrieved 2019-10-08.

Transit infrastructure

Conservative's promise

Fund the Ontario Line and Yonge Subway Extension.

Misc. topics

Arts & culture

Conservative's promise

Allow families to claim up to $500/child for arts & educational activities expenses; Make the credit refundable; Allow families with children with disabilities to claim an additional $500/child/year; Extend the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program three years.

Child disabilities

Conservative's promise

Allow families with children with disabilities to claim an additional $500 per child, per year related to expenses on arts and educational activities, and an additional $500 per child, per year on fitness and sports-related materials.

Children & maternity

Conservative's promise

Remove federal income tax from Employment Insurance maternity and paternal benefits with a non-refundable tax credit of 15% for income earned under those two programmes.

Children's sports and fitness

Conservative's promise

Allow families to claim up to $1000 per child for expenses related to fitness or sports-related activities; Make the credit refundable; Allow parents of children with disabilities to claim an additional $500 per child, per year.

Emergency services

Conservative's promise

Reduce the number of service hours required for emergency services volunteers to qualify for federal tax credits to 150 hours per year.

Museums

Conservative's promise

Remove admission fees on visiting national museums; Make the grave sites of former Prime Ministers and Governors General national historic sites.

Rural and northern communities

Conservative's promise

Appoint a Minister of Rural Affairs; Ensure all Cabinet decisions have a rural perspective; Ensure government programmes consider life conditions and experiences of people in rural regions.

Seniors

Conservative's promise

Increase the Age Credit by $1,000; Maintain the Old Age Security at age 65.

Since the Age Credit is income-tested, it will benefit low to middle income seniors. With this measure, an individual aged 65 could receive up to $150 more per year and a couple could receive up to $300 more per year.

From Andrew Scheer will give more support to seniors, retrieved 2019-10-08.

Taxation

Conservative's promise

Introduce a Universal Tax Cut to reduce the rate of the lowest income bracket (under $47,630/year) from 15% to 13.75%.

Biography

submitted by the candidate or their team
A financial professional with 20 years experience in oil & gas and other industries important to Calgary. That financial experience will be useful in Ottawa. I worked for 6 years as an adviser to Ministers, including in privatization initiatives. Ruth and I have 4 adult sons.

MY CAREER AS A FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL

I’ve been a financial professional for the past twenty years. My most challenging and rewarding role was the five years I served as the Investment Officer of a local private equity firm.

Our opportunities ranged from early stage investments in biotechnology and high tech companies, to start-ups in oil and gas, service industries, mining, real estate development, and public equity trading. Direct involvement in resource development and new technology advancements provided a solid understanding of the oil and gas industry and the economic environment required for its success.

It also provided critical perspectives on what it means to achieve successful innovation – which is so vital to the future of Calgary’s, Alberta’s and Canada’s future economic strength and prosperity.

WORKING THROUGH OBSTACLES IN CHALLENGING MARKET ENVIRONMENTS

That experience has since led to more focused career opportunities, but what stays the same is that all investments require significant effort to make the opportunity perform to plan.

When you spend time working through obstacles with your management teams, and finding solutions in challenging market environments, you get a sense of the people involved who can turn a business concept into a profitable reality. We’ve faced those challenges in Calgary – particularly over the past three years -- and strong leaders have come through and will continue to build our economy.

I think my background is incredibly valuable for a role in Parliament. There are too few politicians who really understand what it takes to invest, to risk, to build, and to succeed. I’ve seen that up close through my work.

OUTSIDE THE OFFICE …

I have previously served as a director of a public oil and gas company and I am currently a director of a private oil and gas services technology company.

I’ve also been a director on my condominium’s board – when they needed assistance adjusting their reserve fund’s portfolio.

… AND IN THE VOLUNTEER WORLD

As a volunteer, I worked for years with the Canadian Progress Club and was the treasurer for two years. Our primary charity was Big Brothers and Sisters of Calgary and Area.

I also served as a volunteer with a United Nations-sponsored mission in Croatia in 1996 – immediately after the conflict. Along with volunteers from several countries, we assisted in the re-integration and re-building of a community divided by war.

EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNING

I spent six years working for two Cabinet Ministers in Ottawa during Prime Minister Mulroney’s Government. It was a rewarding time for someone like me who likes the challenge of facilitating change. I worked on files including the privatization of portions of Via Rail (now the Rocky Mountaineer), CN's eventual privatization, the transfer of airports to Local Airport Authorities, and the survival (for a time) of Canadian Airlines. I also mediated an impasse between the federal road safety directorate and the Petroleum Services Association of Canada.

EDUCATION

The foundation for everything I’ve been able to do in my life is the opportunity that I’ve had to earn a first-class education. At the University of Alberta, I obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree, and followed up with an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business (University of Western Ontario).

PERSONAL

My wife, Ruth, and I have a combined family of four young men – Sean is at the University of Calgary; Cameron is at Brock University; Luke works for Siemens here in Calgary, and Scott has settled in Toronto with his girlfriend, Sam, after finishing his University in Wisconsin. And, with our friends, we enjoy all that life in Calgary offers, including skiing, hiking and biking, and we love our time in the mountains.. And those that really know me know that I am a huge music fan.

EXPERIENCE IN THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY

My history with the Calgary Centre Conservatives spans decades. My involvement began with the PC Youth of Alberta, culminating in a term as President, after which I worked for the Minister from this riding in Ottawa. Subsequently, I spent five years actively involved with the Calgary Centre Conservative Association; serving two years as the Financial Agent, two years as the President of the Association, and as the Official Agent for the 2011 election.

gregmclean.ca www.gregmclean.ca