ISSUE:
Gilles Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Québécois, claims that the Liberals and the Reform-Conservatives have the same views for many of the crucial issues that are important to the Québécois. According to Duceppe, the LPC and the CPC are one in the same. This is false.
THE FACTS:
Liberals vs. Conservatives on culture:
- The Conservatives slashed $45 million from the culture sector.
- Liberals defend culture and artists. We have promised to restore the funding cut by the Conservatives in 2008. While the Liberals were in power, this key sector’s budget was a high priority.
- The Conservatives have left Radio-Canada to fend for itself while the Liberal Party wants to ensure its long-term financial stability.
- The Conservatives introduced Bill C-10 giving the government the discretionary power to censor films while refusing to subsidize productions considered contrary to “public order”. The Liberal Party, on the other hand, has fought tooth and nail against this censorship law.
Liberals vs. Conservatives on the environment and the oil sands industry:
- The Conservatives laissez-faire attitude puts the economy before any environmental concerns.
- Liberals believe that the economy and the environment go hand in hand: that is why we want to develop clean energy technology that will encourage responsible and sustainable development.
- The Liberals believe that Canada should be a world leader in battling climate change, instead of the Conservatives’ record as worst in the G8.
Liberals vs. Conservatives on creating a National Securities Commission:
- The Conservatives want to create a single national securities commission.
- Because this is a complex issue, the Liberals have asked the Supreme Court to evaluate the constitutionality of this proposal.
Liberals vs. Conservatives on EI:
- While Liberals believe that all Canadians have the right to the same EI coverage, regardless of where they live, Conservatives rejected this proposal and failed to present anything constructive as part of this summer’s EI working group.
Liberals vs. Conservatives on finance and the forestry industry:
- The Conservatives only invest in economic development that furthers their political interests.
- The Liberals want to further economic development for all regions of Canada, and maintains that the Québec forestry industry is crucial to the economic vitality of the country. A Liberal government would think of the workers first, not the potential votes a political decision could gain.
Liberals vs. Conservatives on the Supreme Court:
- The Conservatives refuse to guarantee bilingual judges.
- The Liberal Party of Canada feels it is essential that the judges of the country’s highest court be bilingual. Judges in a bilingual country must be able to understand cases from citizens in their mother tongue.
