Turkey Talk 2020

It’s Thanksgiving weekend, which means it’s time for our annual Turkey Talk!

If pumpkin pie gets political on your Zoom call, or family debates get a bit fowl on FaceTime, we’ve got you covered — with a generous helping of pointers about the Liberal government’s work to keep all of our loved ones safe and supported.

Let’s dig in!

“We’re spending too much on COVID-19 support – there’s no way Canada can take on new debt!”

There’s an appropriate time for everything, as your uncle knows from when he broke out some karaoke at the dinner table last Thanksgiving! And now is not the time for austerity.

Emergency support for Canadian workers, families, small businesses, and the most vulnerable isn’t gravy — it’s essential. Canadians shouldn’t have to take on debt that their government can better shoulder, especially when it can be locked into ultra-low interest rates over a long period of time.

Canada would have had a deeper recession and a bigger long-term deficit if we had done less, and the best way to keep the economy strong is to keep Canadians healthy.

“COVID-19 is a hoax!”

We’ll stop you right there. No shortage of misinformation has been cooked up this year, but the facts are clear: COVID-19 is a serious health threat — and we all need to do our part to help keep each other safe.

Canada’s free COVID-Alert app can help by letting people know about possible exposures before any symptoms appear. Plus, Canada.ca/coronavirus has all the info you need to help ensure your loved ones are safe and supported.

“What’s this about a ban on plastic?”

Over 3 million tonnes of plastics were discarded as waste in Canada in 2016 — that’s as heavy as 216 million turkeys!

Plastic pollution is harming our rivers, lakes, oceans, and wildlife, and generating microplastics in the water we use and drink. That’s why the Liberal government is taking bold action to protect a clean environment and ban harmful single-use plastic items like plastic bags, straws, take-out containers, and more — bringing Canada one step closer to a #ZeroPlasticWaste future.

Our plan will create clean jobs, protect Canada’s natural legacy, and help build a Canada that is cleaner, more resilient, and more competitive.

“I hear Erin O’Toole wants to take Canada back.”

Mr. O’Toole’s platform is full of old leftovers from Stephen Harper and Andrew Scheer, with policies that would ‘take Canada back’ to harmful cuts to services that Canadians count on, weakening Canada’s gun control laws, rolling back our work to fight climate change, and much more.

The Liberal plan will keep Canada moving forward, with real investments in a stronger middle class and support for our most vulnerable, and bold action on health, the economy, the environment, and equality. We won’t let Conservative austerity carve up cuts to the support that Canadians need.

“The Liberals are taking away my guns!”

So let’s be clear here: Our loved ones deserve to feel safe from gun violence, and assault-style firearms designed for military use on the battlefield have no place in our communities. While Conservatives have made significant promises to the gun lobby, we delivered on our promise to ban assault-style weapons in Canada and keep our communities safe.

We all know the tragic results that can happen when military weapons fall into the hands of those with criminal intent, and one Canadian killed by gun violence is one too many. These are the dangerous firearms that we have prohibited — and not hunting rifles.

“What’s the deal with CERB — Aren’t people still counting on it?”

For as long as it takes, the Liberal government will continue to have the backs of Canadian workers who need support through this pandemic — as well as Canadians who need to stay home because they’re sick or need to care for a loved one.

Applications opened this week for the new Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and Canada Recovery Caregiver Benefit, and starting Oct. 12, Canadians who aren’t eligible for EI can apply for the Canada Recovery Benefit of $500 per week for up to 26 weeks.

“I hear we have a new Finance Minister. But is she qualified?”

You’ve gotta be kidding Look — Chrystia Freeland is a Harvard and Oxford-educated Rhodes Scholar who literally wrote the book on income inequality. She has served as Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Deputy Prime Minister, and she worked with Justin Trudeau to successfully renegotiate the new NAFTA (safeguarding hundreds of thousands of good middle class jobs).

The question is, how could she be MORE qualified? And we’re thrilled that Chrystia is working with the Liberal government to grow an economy that works for everyone, and making history as the first woman in history to serve as Canada’s Minister of Finance.

“Am I on mute… ??”

Actually, we hear you loud and clear! Liberal volunteers from more than 200 communities across Canada have started hundreds of thousands of conversations with Canadians with our new Virtual Weekends of Action, and we want to keep hearing your ideas for a better future.

And whether you’re on Facetime with your Grandmother in Fort St. John, having a big Zoom Thanksgiving with your family in Trois-Rivières, or lending a hand in your community in the Atlantic Bubble, we’re wishing all our best to you and your loved ones on this very different Thanksgiving!

This year has presented unprecedented global challenges, but Justin Trudeau and our Liberal team will continue to do everything it takes — for as long as it takes — to ensure that Canadians are safe and supported through it all.

There is a lot of work ahead of us to keep building a stronger and more resilient Canada — a Canada that is healthier and safer, cleaner and more competitive, and more fair and inclusive. This Thanksgiving, as always, we’re grateful for how your support makes it all possible.

We know that not everyone is in a position to give right now, and that’s ok – we appreciate you standing with us in every possible way. If you’re able though, please chip in $10 today (or whatever amount works for you) to support our progress and keep Canada moving forward.

Chip in now

Turkey Talk 2020