"Common sense Conservatives will listen to the common sense of the common people, not Justin Trudeau's so-called 'experts,'" a spokesperson for Poilievre told the Canadian Press.

Translation: we, Conservatives, prefer to ignore any information, no matter how well researched or sourced, that goes against our own opinion, which in all cases, is simply the opposite opinion of the governing party. In fact, we prefer the opinion of those with much to gain from us opposing these opinions, such as oil and gas companies, Christian groups, and really any person likely to receive personal monetary gain which can then be shared with us.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Officially, the meeting was being held to study a section of the main estimates — the initial spending allocations the government lays before Parliament each spring — for a dozen federal agencies and departments.

A day later, Higgs and Smith put forward similar ideas — arguing that if Canada exported more natural gas, it might be used to displace dirtier coal power in other countries.

While the premiers were testifying this week, more than 300 Canadian economists were signing an open letter expressing support for carbon pricing and challenging some of the arguments made against the existing policy.

Smith objects to the Liberal government's proposed cap on oil and gas emissions, the clean electricity regulations now being developed and the sales targets for zero-emission vehicles.

With the premiers apparently so eager to discuss climate policy, it's tempting to wonder what might be clarified and accomplished if they were all invited to Ottawa for a televised meeting — with the expectation that they would arrive with a fully costed and independently analyzed plan for how their province would reduce its emissions in line with Canada's national targets.

In the meantime, there's nothing stopping Poilievre from submitting his own climate plan to the parliamentary budget officer for a study of its economic and fiscal impacts before sending it to a private firm to project its emissions reductions.

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