(Ottawa) The Conservative Party, the Green Party and the Bloc Québécois announced that they will vote against the budget presented by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday afternoon. The leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Jagmeet Singh, for his part said he wanted to speak with the Prime Minister before taking a position on the budget.
“We forced the government to implement elements in this budget to help people,” said the leader of the NDP during a press briefing following the tabling of the budget.
He notably praised the presence of drug insurance and assistance measures for tenants in the document. “If the New Democrats [n’avaient] not put pressure on the government, the Liberal government would never have done all that,” argued Mr. Singh.
“We also have concerns in this budget, regarding the fact that they are going to cut 5,000 workers in the public sector, the fact that they do not have a plan to resolve the funding gap for indigenous communities, for “infrastructure and housing,” said the NDP leader.
“I want to hear what the Liberal government’s plan is, what the Prime Minister’s plan is to resolve these concerns,” before making a decision regarding the budget, he added. According to him, “now the ball is in the liberals’ court.”
He also took the opportunity to make a jab at the conservatives.
“The Conservatives want to cut all that. They want to cut […] pharmacare, cutting investments in daycares, they want to cut assistance for dental care,” Mr. Singh said.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre argued in the House that “common sense conservatives” will vote against the budget.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Pierre Poilievre
“This makes the ninth deficit budget after the Prime Minister promised that the budget would balance itself. And all the things he spends on are made worse,” Poilievre said.
Mr. Poilievre listed the increase in the cost of rent, mortgage payments and food prices.
The Liberal government’s budget forecasts a deficit of 39.8 billion.
“After nine deficits, the government is rich, and the people are poor,” he continued. This is why conservatives with common sense will vote against this arsonist firefighter who waters the inflationary fire he lit with gasoline and not (with) water. »
Green Party deputy leader Jonathan Pedneault called the document a “peanuts budget.”
“We have a checkbox here. We “check” each of the little boxes, the little criteria, the requests from lots of people, but when we look in detail, we see very clearly that the resources are not there to face the challenges that we all face. days,” he said.
“What is surprising, for example, is to see the New Democrats seem so satisfied with the extraordinary work they have done with the Liberals, to apparently resolve the fundamental problems facing so many families who are in poverty across the country,” he added.
He also deplored the lack of investment in the climate crisis, although this is, according to him, directly linked to intergenerational equity.
The Bloc denounces “interference” from Ottawa
The leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ), Yves-François Blanchet, affirmed that the budget is “the great mass of interference”.
“It is a shameless attack against the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces,” declared Mr. Blanchet during a press briefing. He particularly deplored the government’s intervention in the affairs of Hydro-Québec.
PHOTO JUSTIN TANG, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Yves-François Blanchet
“I want to tell Mr. Trudeau, if he is that fascinated by municipal infrastructure, or health services, or all his other interferences in terms of language and culture or whatever, please “he wants to do provincial politics at this point rather than take care of Ottawa’s jurisdiction, I suggest he try to become premier of Ontario,” declared the Bloc leader.
The head of the BQ also highlighted “the abominable deficit” found in the budget, and deplored that there was “nothing for seniors” and “nothing to cut subsidies to oil companies.”
For Mr. Blanchet, there is no doubt that the NDP will support the Liberal budget. His party will, however, vote against the budget.
“It’s not the youth budget, it’s not the housing budget, it’s not the business budget,” said Mr. Blanchet. This is the budget of Justin Trudeau, the Liberals, and the NDP who are trying to “snap” a lifeline in their current electoral distress. »
“The fiscal imbalance, combined with the government’s spending power, allows the Ottawa government to enter with its big boots into the skills and jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces,” argued Mr. Blanchet.