MONCTON – As Finance Minister Jim Flaherty gives his revisionist account of his fiscal record to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce today, Liberal Finance Critic Scott Brison is in Moncton to dispel those myths and paint a true picture of where the Harper Conservatives have taken the country over the last five years.
“Jim Flaherty keeps talking about his government having to ‘stay the course,’ but that ‘course’ is both socially and fiscally bankrupt,” said Mr. Brison. “The truth is, this is the most wasteful, biggest spending, biggest borrowing government this country has ever seen.
“During his five years at the helm of Canada’s finances, Mr. Flaherty has taken us from a $13-billion surplus to a record-setting $56-billion deficit – a steep slide that began before, not because of, the recession in 2008 – and he’s on track to adding another $200 billion in debt by 2016. He’s missed every deficit target he’s ever set.
“Mr. Flaherty can talk all he wants about austerity, but it’s his own government that keeps riding the gravy train. And all the while, this secretive government tries to hide as much information as possible from the Canadian public – even though they are spending public money,” he said.
In a speech to the Rotary Club of Moncton, Mr. Brison will touch on another big myth being perpetuated by the Conservatives, namely, that it was their competent management that prevented Canada from undergoing a complete meltdown like other countries in 2008.
“Canada came out of that period much stronger than many other countries because of our solid banking system and our oil and gas commodities – both of which have nothing to do with any actions taken by this government. In fact, if Stephen Harper had had his way while in opposition, the same weak banking regulations that caused the global financial crisis in 2008 would have been in place in Canada.”
In 2002, Stephen Harper lambasted the then-Liberal government for “the failure to adapt bank regulation to the needs and challenges of a financial sector that is less and less national, and more and more global.”
“Thankfully, Jean Chretien and Paul Martin didn’t listen to him, and put in place robust regulations that kept Canada immune from the worst effects of the global recession,” said Mr. Brison.
Mr. Brison will also discuss how it is reckless and irresponsible for the government to gut Canada’s fiscal capacity at a time when we are about to enter into negotiations with the provinces and territories to renew Canada’s health care deal that expires in 2014.
“This is about the protection of one of the key bedrocks of Canadian society. This government is imperilling the future of our public health care,” he said.
“On the one side you have a right-wing government wasting billions of borrowed public dollars on extra corporate tax cuts for the largest corporations in the country, stealth fighter jets and mega-jails,” said Mr. Brison. “On the other side is the Liberal Party, with a plan to help middle-class families struggling with the cost of child care, tuition, caring for sick or aging loved ones and saving for retirement.”
