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| Mr. Dion |
October 3, 2008
MONTREAL – Prime Minister Stephen Harper is an economic risk that Canada can no longer afford, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said today.
“In times of economic crisis, it is imperative that a government offers a plan to Canadians and takes action,” Mr. Dion told the Montreal Chamber of Commerce. “The risks from inaction are too great. Doing nothing is not an option.
“In this week’s debates, Mr. Harper said again and again that we don’t need to do anything. All Canada needs to do is ‘stay the course.’ Well, we know where that course has led us. Mr. Harper has driven our economy into a brick wall. And he has no plan to tackle our current economic challenges or to build a more competitive economy in the long-term.
“We need a plan because Canada’s economy is in trouble. We need a plan to ensure we have a solid regulatory system for Canadians’ savings in these new, challenging economic times. That is precisely what the Liberal economic plan – both for the immediate- and long-term – will do,” he said.
Mr. Dion said Mr. Harper’s right-wing ideology towards government and the economy is the same Conservative ideology that brought us to the brink of financial disaster under Brian Mulroney.
“Stephen Harper suffers from the same flaw as other right-wing politicians: he talks about shrinking government and then he spends and spends with no coherent plan, and instead of wise choices he offers gimmicks to buy votes,” he said.
The result is an economy that we have not seen since the early 1990’s. Since the last election, the “economic fundamentals” that Mr. Harper keeps saying are strong have been steadily, consistently, and clearly damaged.
“In the first half of 2008, we have had the worst performing economy in the G8, the worst performance since 1991,” said Mr. Dion. “We need a plan of action that is made in Canada. We do not need a plan ghost-written in Australia by right-wing politicians who were a part of George W. Bush’s coalition of the willing.
“Stephen Harper doesn’t believe in the role of the government, Jack Layton doesn’t understand the market economy and Gilles Duceppe condemns Quebec to opposition status. It is we Liberals who occupy the centre, who have a strong economic record, and have put forward an effective, fiscally prudent, yet progressive plan,” he said.
Mr. Dion reiterated his plan that will, within the first 30 days of being sworn in to office, bring together the heads of Canada’s financial regulatory agencies to evaluate the status of Canada’s financial regulatory framework, our pension plans, our risk levels, and our housing market, in today’s economic and financial context.
He will also hold urgent discussions with independent private sector economists to report on the state of the economy, then immediately prepare an Economic and Fiscal Update that addresses concerns.
His plan also includes a first ministers meeting and targeted infrastructure and manufacturing sector investments that have the greatest immediate potential to stimulate investment and create jobs.
“I want my country, Canada, to succeed in the 21st-century economy. I want Canada to tackle the challenge of the century, bringing together a prosperous economy and a sustainable environment,” he said.
