Residents in my riding of Bramalea-Gore-Malton know the Pearson Convention Centre in Brampton as a place where families and community groups come together to celebrate, share their ideas and dream of the future.
It is named after, of course, one of Canada’s greatest prime ministers, Lester Pearson. When Lester Pearson led a minority Liberal government for five years from 1963 to 1968, he ushered in many of the defining initiatives of our country, including universal health care, the Canada Pension Plan, the Canada Student Loans program, and our national flag.
As our current Prime Minister Stephen Harper uses the Pearson Convention Centre for a campaign stop today – located just a stone’s throw from Pearson International Airport – we see a sharp contrast between two very different five-year prime ministers.
Just look at the five-year track record of our current prime minister:
- 25% more seniors are living in poverty;
- costs of living have risen faster than incomes for many Canadian families;
- Canadians have record levels of personal debt – $1.50 of debt for every dollar of income;
- unemployment is 30% higher, with 330,000 more unemployed Canadians;
- two-thirds of families are worried that they can’t pay for their kids’ education;
- families have taken on a greater share of prescription and health care costs; and
- more families are facing an uncertain retirement, with no registered pension savings for 75% of private sector workers.
Canadians are worse off after five years of Stephen Harper. Our retirements are less secure, the cost of tuition has risen 20% and youth unemployment is double the national average. We have a lesser voice in the world and are less democratic as a country, where rich corporations get extra tax breaks and everyone else has to fend for themselves.
On top of all that, parents and grandparents from key source countries like India, China, the Philippines and Pakistan are now waiting 6-7 years to come to Canada thanks to the policies of this government, and ongoing cuts to family reunification could push these wait times into the double digits.
This is a prime minister who has done nothing to help the unemployed find full-time work and only comes to Brampton when he needs to score some political points. After looking at Lester Pearson’s achievements one thing becomes perfectly clear: Stephen Harper has a long road ahead of him if he ever wants the residents of Bramalea-Gore-Malton to name a building after him!
Gurbax Singh Malhi
