During a debate on the economy, the Conservatives pointed out Canada's recession and weak economic indicators under the Liberals, including high inflation and unemployment. The Conservatives accused the Liberals of being out of touch and in denial about how their policies have made things worse, while the Liberals touted their spending and benefits. The Bloc focused on regional issues in Quebec.
“I enjoy talking. I fill time with many words about young entrepreneurs and students. There are some real economic problems like weak growth and high costs. I don't like the motion because it calls some spending inflationary but doesn't define that clearly. The other parties aren't proposing enough solutions. We the Bloc have some ideas, like wage subsidies and helping forestry companies. The government should consider our good ideas from this side of the House.”
“I'm using this chance to talk so I can score political points and make the government look bad in front of my constituents. They are sad. The government should spend more money to fix it.”
“I'm going to ignore your point and brag about our trade deals instead. We've signed trade agreements with many countries. Our Prime Minister is great at promoting exports. Trade with the US is increasing under our government. We only care about what's best for Canadians, not what other parties want.”
“The Prime Minister said he would get a deal with the US quickly. That's what he campaigned on. But he didn't deliver. Now the government is saying other countries instead. The Prime Minister didn't sign those deals. We don't know if the government really has a trade strategy. They should tell us. The Prime Minister's office is too secretive and controlling.”
“The Liberals should be more humble. They didn't answer the member's questions. They didn't answer my questions. The Minister of Finance ignored our questions. The government should be more humble.”
“The Liberals are arrogant. They bought their majority. The Finance Minister never answers questions. Driver Inc. is causing deaths. The Liberals held the meeting in secret. The committee chair attends events by the people responsible for Driver Inc. Bill C-30 relaxes pesticide laws. The Health Minister attends pesticide company events. Parliament deserves better than this. We work hard and submit amendments. But the government ignores democracy now that it has a majority. The Prime Minister acts like a CEO, not a prime minister.”
“The Liberals kept saying everything was fine even though Canadians knew it wasn't. The PBO confirmed we have a bigger deficit, weaker growth, lower wages, and only a 1% chance of meeting the government's own fiscal anchor. Why did it take the Liberals so long to admit what Canadians already knew, and why are they still refusing to change the costly policies that are making life less affordable?”
“The real problem is the 20% to 25% of people living paycheck to paycheck. They aren't seeing any increase in purchasing power, but the government keeps handing out checks without addressing the root issue. This short-sighted approach is causing people to lose faith in our institutions.”
“The government's own numbers don't add up. This project will cost a fortune and passengers will end up paying through the nose just to cover the interest. I don't trust the Liberals to do their homework and the people in my riding are sick of government land grabs.”
“The government's flashy ads can't hide that they still don't have a real business plan. By their own numbers, this project is going to need billions in subsidies just to stay afloat. And to pay for it, they're going to expropriate more land than they need and sell it off to developers. This whole thing is a mess and it's going to be taxpayers in my riding and across the country who end up paying for it.”
“People are struggling. Businesses are closing. Opportunities are shrinking. But the government wants to spend billions on new technology instead of helping Canadians who are suffering now. We need to focus on creating jobs and opportunities, not just throwing money at fancy new systems that might not even work.”
“I want to nitpick about one number instead of answering your real point about struggling families. 90,000 new jobs is good news so I want to talk about that. I'm not going to address anything else you said.”
“You say you want truth and transparency. But this $25 billion fund is a sneaky debt. They will spend it on pipelines in secret. That won't reduce carbon. I think it will make inflation worse. I don't trust this.”
“I want Canada to use its own oil reserves instead of importing oil. The sovereign wealth fund won't help. It's based on debt, not real wealth. It won't get us out of this recession.”
“Many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. Some must choose between heating their home or putting food on the table. Even families with two working parents are using food banks. The government should take action to make life more affordable for people.”
“Canada's economy is struggling. The government promised to control spending, but the deficit is rising. The government's own report shows that major projects are slow, expensive, and confusing. Canada needs clear standards and decisions to attract investment and create jobs. The government should stop making excuses and making success harder. Canadians deserve better than a government that asks them to settle for less.”
