While awaiting the economic statement from Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland later Thursday, the opposition parties have made known in the last few days their expectations for the coming months.
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• Read also: A tax and spending freeze called for by Poilievre
• Read also: Freeland’s economic update due next Thursday
Recently, Minister Freeland hinted that Canada was about to go through “difficult times”, as the specter of a recession continues to fuel discussions among experts.
“Stop,” says Poilievre
For the Conservatives, the demand is simple and can be summed up in a few words: “stop taxes”, and “stop spending”.
These words are taken from a letter sent to Ms Freeland on Sunday by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
In it, Mr. Poilievre returns to the subject that has animated almost all of his speeches in the House since his arrival at the head of the party in September.
It paints a grim picture of the economic situation for families. “The bubble is finally bursting and the bill is coming due. For years, my warnings of out-of-control spending that would drive up inflation and then interest rates were ignored.”
According to Mr. Poilievre, government spending is adding fuel to the fire of inflation. The best way to help people is therefore to ban all new spending and to cancel the planned increases in the carbon tax.
Three Bloc demands
“The government must stop dispersing itself in further interference to preserve its alliance with the NDP [Nouveau Parti démocratique]and avoid the austerity demanded by the Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in the slogans that take the place of economic policy,” declared Bloc Québécois finance spokesperson Gabriel Ste-Marie.
“We advocate a refocusing of the federal government: that it concentrates on the responsibilities that are its own and assumes them adequately”.
Thus, the Bloc members are returning to demands that have been theirs for some time, starting with the eternal question of health transfers, which Ottawa refuses to grant unconditionally.
The Bloc, like the NDP, also demands a reform of employment insurance to make it more accessible in a post-pandemic context.
Finally, the party wants to see an increase in pensions for those aged 65 and over.
The NDP against “séraphinflartion”
For its part, the NDP has been hammering for months that the government leaves the field open to “seraphinflation” – inflation “caused by the greed and greed of big business” – by not imposing an exceptional tax on profits. excessive from the big oil companies.
The same goes for the big grocery chains, “which are making massive profits [alors que] people are having trouble getting groceries,” Chief Jagmeet Singh said at a press briefing Thursday morning.
“With the cost of gasoline, the cost of energy going up, this winter is going to be tough. There is nothing in this economic update that shows a willingness to support people for this winter,” he said.