The Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition, issued the following news release after today’s press conference:
“Justin Trudeau’s inflationary deficits, to the tune of half a trillion dollars, have sent more dollars chasing fewer goods. The fall economic update showed that government revenues have increased by $40.1 billion this year alone. This means that inflation is not only increasing costs for everyday essentials such as gas, groceries and home heating, but also increasing taxes for Canadians. The Trudeau Liberals are profiting off of Canadians via increased inflation.”
According to Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada, inflation at 7% costs an average Canadian an extra $3,500 a year.
To address the cost-of-living crisis, Mr. Poilievre said his Conservative Party had proposed “common cents” solutions – stop payroll tax hikes, axe the federal carbon tax and cap spending with a Pay-As-You-Go Law requiring the government to find a dollar of savings for each new dollar of spending. The Liberal Fall Economic Statement did none of these things.
Despite violent crime rising by 32% and drug overdose deaths by 300% under Justin Trudeau, Mr. Poilievre remarked that the Liberals continue to endanger Canadian lives by making it easier for violent criminals to get bail with C-75, repealing mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes with Bill C-5, and flooding Canadian streets with taxpayer-funded drugs.
With 2.4 million immigration applications still to be processed, Mr. Poilievre urged the Trudeau government to expeditiously clear the massive backlogs so that families could be reunited. To resolve labour shortages in key sectors like construction and healthcare, he laid out his plans to work with provinces to streamline credential recognition for foreign-trained professionals and newcomers so they can work in their trained fields as soon as they arrive in Canada.
Mr. Poilievre also discussed the need to urgently address the critical shortage of children’s pain and fever medicine, develop Canada’s energy sector, remove gatekeepers to make housing affordable, and for the Party to build stronger relations with ethnic communities in Canada.
