(Ottawa) Prime Minister and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau refused again on Friday to commit to presenting a plan to return to balanced budgets, even if a resolution from the Quebec wing of his party is adopted by the members gathered in congress.
“The most important thing for me is to create a strong and resilient economy in which we can continue to invest and create good jobs. We know that it is essential to demonstrate fiscal responsibility, which we are still doing, ”replied Mr. Trudeau in a press scrum.
He has repeatedly avoided answering questions directly from journalists trying to clarify whether it is a priority for him, whether the resolution is adopted or not.
Instead, Mr. Trudeau repeated what is beginning to become a mantra: that Canada has the lowest deficit in the G7, the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, and is one of the three largest countries in the world with a AAA credit rating.
However, these arguments clearly do not convince Quebec activists whose resolution does not pass by four roads. She demands that the Liberal Party of Canada give itself a “quantified and clear proposal” to return to a balanced budget and that it “be part of the electoral platform” of the party for the next elections.
The members explain in the preamble that the federal debt rose from 30% of GDP in 2015/2016 — when the Liberals came to power — to nearly 50% in 2021/2022, which “worries many Canadians” although that it remains “proportionally reasonable” in comparison with that of the other major countries of the world.
They also note that Canadians “will likely place significant importance” on the presence of a program to reduce the debt and return to balanced budgets when choosing a party to govern the country in the next election.
In its most recent budget, which was tabled last March, the Trudeau government gave up on its projection of a return to balanced budgets in five years.
Friday morning, Mr. Trudeau put the weight of the request from the Quebec wing into perspective, believing that it is only one of the many resolutions which will cause “great debates between Liberals” and which will be voted on Saturday.
“We are going to look at what the recommendations and the perspective of the party and its activists will be,” he said without making any commitment.
The delegates present at the congress will have to vote on about thirty resolutions. Some propose that the age required to vote in federal elections be lowered to 17, to establish a guaranteed basic income and to establish an electric high-speed train in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor.
The National Convention of the Liberal Party of Canada continues until Saturday. On Friday, the former US Secretary of State and former Democratic candidate who faced Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, will be present to address members of the PLC.