The 2018 Budget has been introduced, and the Liberal government is continuing its massive, unbelievably irresponsible spending spree. They’re choosing government before people. Ideology over evidence.
The Liberals are now running a deficit that’s three times what they promised in the 2015 election. It’s going to add 450 BILLION to the national debt over the next 27 years.
I’m going to level with you – I know it’s no surprise that as a Conservative MP I oppose this Liberal budget. After all, it’s our job as Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition to pick through government legislation and uncover its shortcomings.
So I say this not only as an opposition MP, but as a Canadian that has worked, raised a family, and paid my taxes: this budget is bad, folks. It’s real bad. Maybe one of the worst I’ve ever seen – and I’ve seen my fair share.
When the economy went into crisis in 2008, the Harper Conservative government was practicing fiscal responsibility. In the previous two years, they had allocated funds in the budget to pay down the debt. So when the financial disaster happened, there was money available for economic stimulus spending.
That may not be the case if another crisis hits (if NAFTA talks are unsuccessful, for example). The cupboard is bare.
Many of you are old enough to remember the spiralling debt and credit downgrades Canada suffered under Trudeau and Chretien governments. I’m worried the Liberals are setting us on that path again.
One of the big reasons Conservatives preach fiscal responsibility is so that we can afford to responsibly administer the many government programs that Canadians actually value. Think OAS, GIS, healthcare, etc. When the national debt gets out of control, the responsible fiscal measures we Conservatives are calling for now may not be enough. The only solution ends up being massive cuts to key programs. The interest we pay on our debt alone could cover federal healthcare funding in this country.
We need fiscal responsibility now – not when it’s already too late.
I’m worried about our nation’s future under Liberal governance. About what we’re leaving for our children and grandchildren. So again, I say this not just as an opposition MP, but as a proud Canadian citizen: this budget is the last straw. We need to defeat this government in 2019 and get our country back on track.
