Conservative Budget Fails Middle Class Families

February 11, 2014

OTTAWA – The Conservatives’ budget fails to deliver real economic growth and solutions for the middle class. Canadians want a new approach, said Liberals today.

“Middle class Canadians need a plan for growth, and this budget has no plan for growth. The only way to achieve a sustainable surplus is with economic growth,” said the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Justin Trudeau. “What the Conservatives are doing, balancing the budget for political purposes – on the backs of Canadian workers, defence cuts, and asset sales – is just bad governance.”

The Conservatives have no plan. It is clear they intend to run roughshod over the provinces in order to implement their job grant program, the centrepiece of last year’s budget, which remains non-existent to this day. The government has made clear it will balance the budget by keeping Employment Insurance premiums artificially high, harming middle class workers. Finally, National Defence procurement – which provides our troops with the equipment they need and is an important driver of Canadian jobs – is being slashed.

“This out of touch, no-growth Conservative budget does nothing for young Canadians, who cannot find good work, or for their parents, who are paying the bills by taking on more personal debt,” said Liberal Finance Critic, Scott Brison. “Instead of this unimaginative, do-nothing budget, Canadian families are looking for investments that will produce growth, including in infrastructure and post-secondary education.”