Conservative MP Blaine Calkins says the truth has finally come out about what little difference there really is between the Liberals and NDP.
On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the Liberals had reached an agreement that would see the New Democrats support his minority government through to 2025.
“For years we’ve been saying that there’s no difference between the Liberals and the NDP. Now it looks like they’re making it official,” said Red Deer-Lacombe MP Blaine Calkins in a Facebook post.
Trudeau said the agreement is about focusing on what each party agrees on, rather than disagrees on, that will include action on areas such as dental care, climate change, housing and paid sick leave.
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But Calkins said the deal is just an attempt by Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh to subvert the will of the Canadian people in order to undermine the proper functioning of Parliament.
“Canadians elected a minority government to ensure that there were checks on the Trudeau Liberals, and that they would be held accountable. By guaranteeing that the NDP will prop up the government regardless of future actions, Trudeau has achieved through vote buying and deal-making what the Canadian people told him they did not want him to have – a majority government,” Calkins said in a statement.
“At a time when the government should be attempting to curb inflation, reign in spending and work to eliminate deficits, the prime minister has decided to buy years of power from the NDP by pouring billions of tax dollars into new programs that Canadians rejected when they rewarded the NDP with a mere 25 seats in the last election.”
Calkins said he was sickened that the NDP have decided to abandon their duty to Canadians by replacing accountability and good governance with a power grab.
Conservative Interim Leader Candice Bergen said the “NDP/Liberal majority government” means the decimation of Canada’s oil and gas and liquefied natural gas industries.
“There is, I’m sure, a lot of despair in the West right now around this decision,” Bergen said.
Destroying those industries also helps Russia and President Vladimir Putin, she added.
“Make no mistake. The NDP are in charge. In means mining, agriculture and fisheries are all next under the extreme policies of the NDP.”
Bergen said Canadian voters have been “hoodwinked and deceived by their prime minister.”
“Let me be clear, this is nothing more than a Justin Trudeau power grab. He is desperately clinging to power,” Bergen said.
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The agreement means the NDP will not move a vote of non-confidence, nor vote for a non-confidence motion.
The Liberals and NDP also agree to prioritize health initiatives including progress on a universal national pharmacare program and ensuring seniors are guaranteed care no matter where they live.
There will also be efforts on fair taxation measures including changes for financial institutions that have made strong profits during the pandemic, and efforts to foster reconciliation, including a significant additional investment in Indigenous housing this year.
— with files from The Canadian Press
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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