Harper’s covert cuts hurt families, helped send Canada into recession

September 14, 2015

Parliamentary Budget Officer confirms Canada is in deficit right now

NEW MINAS, NS and MONTREAL, QC – Stephen Harper’s Conservatives were secretly pumping billions of dollars out of the Canadian economy, helping send the country into recession, said Liberal candidate for Kings–Hants, Scott Brison, and Liberal candidate for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount, Marc Garneau. 

“At a time when the economy and the middle class were already struggling because of Harper, the Conservatives have made it worse by starving the economy further with stealth cuts,” said Mr. Brison. “Instead of investing in our economy, Harper sent Canada into recession. He cannot be trusted on the economy.”

“And despite Harper’s claims of a phony surplus, the Parliamentary Budget Officer already confirmed that Canada is running another deficit this year,” continued Mr. Brison (Toronto Star, July 22, 2015).

Today’s annual financial report shows that the federal government overstated direct program spending for 2014-15 by $1.8 billion in April 2015.

“When they tabled their budget in late April, it is simply unfathomable that the Conservatives didn’t know about the cuts they had already made the previous year. It’s yet another example of the deception that has defined Stephen Harper and his failed decade,” said Mr. Garneau. “And by joining Harper in rushing to eliminate the deficit in just six months, Thomas Mulcair is offering the same failed approach as the Conservatives.”

“Canadians have a clear choice in this election between smart investments that create jobs and growth or more cuts that will slow down our economy even further,” said Mr. Garneau. “Harper and Mulcair are both choosing cuts over jobs and growth. Justin Trudeau and the Liberals are the only team with a real plan to invest in Canadians and grow the economy in a way that works for everyone.”