Dear Friends,
Earlier this week, the Liberals presented their first budget in two years, and it was a massive let down.
Was it worth waiting for?
It probably comes as no surprise that instead of focusing on stimulus spending to help get Canadians back on their feet, the Liberals have chosen to focus on partisan priorities.
Over the past year, we have seen businesses close, and people struggle to make ends meet.
To be clear, Conservatives have always understood that financial aid needed to be provided if businesses were being shuttered and Canadians were being told to stay home.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have looked for ways to improve the various support programs introduced by the government to ensure they were effective and targeted.
However, unemployed Canadians were not given a plan for creating new jobs and new economic opportunities. Workers who had their wages and hours cut are still left in the dark with no plan for reopening. There is also no plan for families struggling to save up to buy a home or save for their children’s future.
This budget has encapsulated the short-sightedness of this Liberal government. Instead of focusing on initiatives that will help Canadians recover from this pandemic, the budget has been a letdown.
Not only does this new budget fail to offer support through stimulus and programs, but it also contains massive deficits. This budget will push Canada past 1.2 trillion dollars in debt for the first time ever.
Regarding the massive deficit and debt, Ed Fast, Conservative Finance Critic said: “. . . the Liberal government tabled the most expensive Budget our country has ever seen. Canadians deserve our help to safely get them through the pandemic, and we support those measures. However, Justin Trudeau hasn’t told us how he plans to manage this massive debt. Canadians deserve to know.”
Conservatives will continue to push for responsible spending which will help Canadians recover from this pandemic. The Conservative Recovery Plan aims to recover millions of jobs and introduce policies which will lead to better wages and help small businesses get back on their feet.
Conservatives guided Canada out of the last recession, and we are ready to do it again.
Sincerely,
Kelly Block, MP