CONSERVATIVE Party Leader Pierre Poilievre on Saturday slammed the Liberal government, stating that “the cost of government is driving up the cost of living.”
He added that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “inflationary deficits have resulted in a cost-of-living crisis that will push many struggling Canadians over the edge.”
He said: “Food bank usage is at an all-time high with Food Banks Canada recording 1.5 million visits to food banks in just one month which is a 35% increase compared to last year. Gas prices have also reached record-highs.”
To address the cost-of-living crisis, Poilievre said his Conservative Party had proposed “common cents” solutions – stop the taxes and stop the spending. He said his government would 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 neither of these things, he pointed out.
Poilievre said: “The fall economic update shows 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 increased inflation. Canadians are out of money and Justin Trudeau is out of touch.”
He added that “the costly Liberal-NDP coalition works against the interests and well-being of hardworking Canadians.” He noted that despite worries of a looming recession, the costly coalition voted against his motion to exempt home heating from the carbon tax to give some relief to Canadians.
With B.C. cities among the worst crime-hit places in Canada, according to a recent Statistics Canada report, Poilievre said that instead of enforcing stronger laws to protect victims and to punish violent criminals, the Liberals push legislations like Bill C-5 that takes away mandatory jail time for violent crime and allow these criminals to serve under house arrest in B.C. communities.
On the issue of decriminalizing illicit drugs, Poilievre said that Canadians struggling with addiction deserve compassion and that the federal government should prioritize expanding treatment and recovery programs so that they can get help. He emphasized that Canada’s drug laws and law enforcement efforts must target individuals trafficking and selling illegal drugs rather than those battling drug addiction.
In his first visit to B.C. as Leader of the Conservative Party, Poilievre at Saturday’s press conference also discussed the need to list Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, offer more support to Ukraine in their conflict against Russia, develop Canada’s energy sector, remove gatekeepers to boost the housing market, resolve immigration backlogs, and for his party to build stronger relations with ethnic communities in Canada.
Poilievre commended media outlets in Canada for their selfless work in representing minority and diaspora communities across the country, and for ensuring that everyone has access to key information and breaking news.
