Op-ed: Federal Conservative candidate opposes election
By Contributor
Photo: Federal Conservative hopeful Rob Zandee
Today, Rob Zandee, candidate of record for the Conservative Party of Canada
for the riding of B.C. Southern Interior, commented on Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff’s threatened opportunistic election this fall.
“In talking to people all around the riding this summer, I have heard loud and clear that the last thing people want is an election this fall. They want government to focus on the economy and to continue setting the base for a broad economic recovery,” said Zandee.
“For the opposition to call for an election is nothing but crass political opportunism at a time when we need to be conveying stability, not only to the international community wanting to invest in Canada, but to all Canadians. There were a number of sectors that were facing difficulties previous to the recession and we need to make sure that we continue to work with those sectors to get them on a firm footing going forward.
“Jack Layton and the NDP have already proven that they do not want to work for Canadians by voting against the government on 79 confidence motions: they have voted against extending EI benefits, they have voted against pension splitting for seniors and they have voted against increasing the basic personal exemption. The NDP pushes for more spending on infrastructure and then they vote against it. In one breath, they are saying the infrastructure money isn’t going out the door fast enough, and then in the next breath, they complain about the size of the deficit,” said Zandee.
“As I have mentioned many times before, the economic action plan the government implemented has been working. The IMF (International Monetary Fund) has said that the plan is ‘large, timely, well-diversified and structured for maximum effectiveness.’ The report also notes that the total fiscal stimulus undertaken in Canada is among the largest of any G20 economy. Canada is better placed to come out of this global economic crisis on a much stronger footing than many other countries,” said Zandee. “This opinion is shared by the IMF in its assessment of Canada’s economic growth in 2010, which it expects to be stronger than in any other G7 country.
“We will continue with the economy, the economic well-being of Canadians as our number one priority.”
Comments