Liberals Blast Conservative Ad Spending, Demand Reinvestment in Youth Jobs

May 16, 2013

HALIFAX AND MONTRÉAL– Across the country today, Liberals, along with student and business leaders, called on the Conservative government to end its wasteful spending on advertising and reinvest in a youth employment strategy and student jobs.

“Youth unemployment in Canada is double the national rate, and last year was amongst the worst in recorded history for student summer employment,” said Liberal Finance critic Scott Brison. “Instead of focusing on this glaring problem, the Conservatives are spending more on partisan advertising paid for by taxpayers.”

While the unemployment rate for young Canadians is the worst it has been in decades, the Conservatives continue to waste taxpayer dollars on self-promotion. For every “Economic Action Plan” advertisement on television, approximately $95,000 – the cost of funding 32 summer jobs for young Canadians – is squandered.

“There are well over 400,000 unemployed youth, and 231,000 fewer youth jobs in Canada since the recession, and as a result parents are understandably worried that their children will be worse off than they were,” continued Liberal MP for Westmount—Ville-Marie, Marc Garneau. “Instead of offering the necessary support, the Conservatives are abandoning young Canadians.”

Under the Conservatives, the number of youth receiving help through the Canada Summer Jobs program has dropped from 77,579 in 2006 to 36,000 in 2013.

“The employment rate last summer was worse than at the lowest point during the recession, and the government plans to fund 8,500 fewer jobs this summer than last,” concluded Zachary Dayler, National Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. “In these tough economic times students need more help, not less.”