“I want to paper over economic worries by quoting a philosopher about optimism vs pessimism. Then I will cherry-pick a few positive economic numbers to talk about.”
What they said. What they meant.
Plain-language translations from the House of Commons.
Recent debates
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Oral Questions
The Economy
In a debate about the state of Canada's economy, the Conservatives pointed out Canada is the only G20 country in a recession and criticized the poor economic growth, declining investment, and affordability challenges facing Canadians. The Liberals responded by accusing the Conservatives of being too pessimistic and negative, arguing that focusing on bad economic news doesn't help Canadians. The Liberals highlighted recent job growth numbers instead. Much of the debate consisted of partisan sniping and talking points rather than substantive discussion of economic policy or solutions.
“Don't listen to the Conservatives. They're just trying to make everyone feel bad. Our government is doing a great job. Look, we spent money to help people buy groceries. And more people have jobs now. The Conservatives are no good for Canadians.”
“Conservatives are scaring people. I don't want to admit the economy has problems. I'll talk about 'global headwinds' to suggest it's not our fault. Canada is doing better than other countries, so I'll say things are fine. I would rather talk about jobs and support than bad economic news.”
“The Conservatives keep asking the same questions about the economy being bad. I think they should ask about something else. The economy is actually good. Lots of Canadians have jobs.”
“Alberta has more jobs than last year. Albertans are working hard. Conservatives should stop being so negative about their own province.”