October 12th, 2024

Canadians not fooled by Trudeau’s empty promises


By Lethbridge Herald on May 4, 2024.

FROM THE HILL
Rachael Thomas – Conservative Member of Parliament for Lethbridge

Have you ever heard of a snake oil salesman? 

The term originated in the 1900s from an infamous impostor who sold snake oil as a miracle medicine. It turns out the supposed “snake oil” was just a concoction of mineral oil, beef fat, red pepper, and turpentine. 

It was not at all a remedy for sick people. 

The con artist was eventually exposed in 1917, and he became a powerful symbol of warning against false advertising. When looking at the Liberals’ 2024 budget, it is difficult not to think of a snake oil salesman. 

On April 16th, the Liberals announced they will be strapping another $40 billion in new deficit spending to the backs of Canadians, which makes this the nineth year in a row that Mr. Trudeau has run deficits, while claiming the budget will balance itself. 

Trudeau continues to claim families will be better off with more government spending—but we know this is rubbish.  

This year, Canadians will pay $54.1 billion just to cover the interest owed on the deficit incurred since the Liberals took office. 

This is more than the government collects in GST; almost double what we spend on Canada’s military; and more than the federal government transfers to the provinces for health care. 

When the government spends money it does not have, it causes inflation to rise, which drives up the cost of everything. Thanks to Trudeau’s out-of-control spending, Canadians are stuck paying more for housing, groceries, fuel, and other essentials. 

The prosperity most people enjoyed less than a decade ago has become a distant memory and altogether unattainable.

In 2014, under the previous Conservative government, Canada was home to the world’s most affluent middle class. Today, Bloomberg reports that Canada is home to a “housing crisis, packed hospitals and food lines.” The National Post recently reported that child poverty is rising at an astronomical rate. 

All of this has to do with the Liberals’ tax-and-spend policies. 

On April 22nd I hosted a public town hall that drew a full room.

 As individuals came to the mic with their questions and concerns, the resounding plea was that something must change. The cost and corruption of the current government cannot be allowed to continue. 

Every month, I hear from hundreds of families in Lethbridge who are struggling to pay their rent, put food on their tables, or fuel up their vehicles. 

Much of this has to do with Trudeau’s punitive carbon tax, which was hiked by 23 percent on April 1st. The Liberals’ latest budget will only make things worse. 

In Lethbridge, the Interfaith Food Bank has experienced a 75 percent increase in usage by working individuals, and food banks across the nation witnessed a staggering two million visits in a single month last year. 

An additional one million visits are expected in 2024.

To help Canadians through this affordability crisis, Common Sense Conservatives proposed three critical directives to correct the Liberals’ devastating mismanagement: axe the tax on farmers and food; build homes not bureaucracy; and cap spending by enforcing a dollar-for-dollar rule to curb out-of-control spending.

Trudeau has been touring the country the last few weeks, attempting to sell his snake oil to Canadians. 

He wants you to think he has the cure to the very sickness he created.

After nine years of Trudeau, Canadians are tired of snake oil and want actual solutions. 

The answer is simple: we need the government to get out of the way and let Canadians keep more of their hard-earned pay cheques. 

People in Lethbridge must be allowed to invent, invest, and innovate. We need a smaller government to accommodate bigger citizens. 

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SophieR

Federal Deficit over the years

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Last edited 5 months ago by SophieR
ReallyReally

Cons have very short memories. Stephen Harper ran the government with the worst record for fiscal management in contemporary Canadian history, inclusive of provincial governments. Rachael recently barked that the current Liberal Government wasted $70 million on the Arrive Can App, which she thought was one of the most egregious examples of government waste ever — but she completely ignored that the Harper Conservative government ignored Australia’s warning NOT to purchase the Phoenix Pay System and that fiasco has to date cost Canadians over $2 Billion dollars! A lot of $70 million bundles fit in $2 billion. That right there should warn us that the Cons have a very poor grasp on economics.
Ask any successful businessman and they will tell you that they pretty much must routinely borrow money to invest in the operation and growth of their business. Short Story: Historically in North America, and globally, higher taxes and government investment in economic stimulus spending have a remarkable history of being associated with positive growth, employment, and benefits for a nation’s economy. — Business people spend their wealth rather than hoard it to take advantage of tax breaks offered for such investments; Win-Win. And as one individual has noted below: ‘Smith and Thomas… two peas in a pod… yep, can’t help but note that Smith is spending like crazy despite a public announcement that she was going to be more fiscally acute, and Cons if elected will play this very same game; feigned integrity is in the Con’s genes. I am never surprised that the same baying hounds upset over NDP and Liberal spending remain mute regarding UCP throwing money here there and everywhere. (OR, are they simply making announcements that typically they will never deliver on?) Hypocrites.

SophieR

So true. It is unfortunate to have representatives more focused on intrigue than good governance. And you are very right to say that some debt is good (investments with a financial return over time) and other debt is bad (pipeline to nowhere). And all debt is owned by someone – the interest ostensibly being used for growth. (The Deficit Myth is informative on this)

Furthermore, you can’t have ‘no debt’, ‘no taxes’, and demand services at the same time, as Rachael seems to think possible.

ReallyReally

Poilievre, and Rachael, have been promising to do all these wonderful initiatives to jump start housing, keep prisoners in prison interminably, yada, yada, yada, while hinting at tax cuts for middle class Canadians. Critical to their proposals, they do not explain how they intend to finance these measures. Perhaps they will plant trees that grow money, approve only owner-constructed sod homes, tax lower class Canadians, or shuffle money away from senior single women’s OAS payments to balance their budget? A hint of snake oil politics in their promises from this vantage point.

Kal Itea

Kicked out of Parliament. We are not fooled, .Rachael Thomas!

buckwheat

Hansard didn’t bother to record her “I withdraw”. Catch up.

buckwheat

And then there is this, even Mulcair agrees the Speaker was/is partisan biased.

https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/gunter-fergus-the-partisan-speaker-needs-to-go

Southern Albertan

Mulcair also challenged the neutrality of Andrew Scheer, interestingly.

knowlton

Time to resign Rachael – you’re a disgrace to all of us in Lethbridge. We all know your “church” got you the nomination here.

Your party has lost to Trudeau three times, how embarrassing.

Tell us what $40B in programs you’d cut to balance the budget this year.

HaroldP

“We know your “church” got you the nomination here.” Firstly Knowiton, who is “We”? Or more correctly is it the “wee” number of votes opponents received in MP Thomas’s “landslide” victories in the democratic election process?

Her party has not lost anything to Trudeau. The Conservatives actually defeated Trudeau, however thanks to Jagmeet Singh and the NDP we are subject to this current “Wacco” Prime Minister and the current Liberal/NDP coalition government…….you do know this of course Knowiton??? By the way, have you seen the various “polls”? Now are the polls not what is “embarrassing” to the likes of Justin Trudeau and the Liberals?

Secondly, with the “Wacco” spending over the past nine years by the Liberal agenda/deficit budgets, it is highly unlikely any Government would/will be able to balance the massive debt in one or two years….but there are “common sence” initiatives that Leader of the Opposition, MP Pollievre, has illustrated? What initiatives has the Liberal/NDP offered? (Opps, I forgot, the budget(s) will “balance themselves”!)

Last edited 5 months ago by HaroldP
Southern Albertan

This: “What We Risk by Normalizing Poilievre’s Politics. We face losing nothing less than Canadian decency, decorum and democracy. Do news media recognize this? Poilievre’s ‘demonizing opponents, intimidating journalists, disrespecting institutions, politicizing the rights of the vulnerable and undermining truth are warning signs for democratic erosion,’ writes the author.”
http://www.thetyee.ca/Analysis/2024/04/26/What-We-Risk-Normalizing-Poilievre-Politics/
….a reminder of the same type of authoritarian, Trump-style politics of the Smith/Parker UCP/TBA regime. “We need to heed the warning signs,” of these alarming, toxic styles of politics.
MP Thomas is but a peddling, kicked-out-of-Parliament moot pawn in all of this.

Kal Itea

Two rotten peas in a pod- Smith and Rachel

“Internal documents obtained by The Narwhal reveal pressure on Alberta’s electricity grid operator CEO, Mike Law, to support the government’s pause on new renewable energy projects despite his objections. Law’s opposition stemmed from concerns about grid stability and investment impacts. Contrary to government claims, Law and the operator didn’t request the pause. The documents suggest government interference, with Law feeling pressured to provide support. The pause, lasting over six months, stifled renewable energy development. Political science professor Lori Williams sees this as undue interference, raising questions about the government’s motives and the independence of regulatory bodies.

buckwheat

Mulcair, the previous NDP hero has a different opinion, however, you need to read the whole article.
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/gunter-fergus-the-partisan-speaker-needs-to-go

johnny57

Don’t we ALL trust the Libtards with our money Rachael?
After all was it not Trudope that squawked those famous words? “And the budget will balance itself.”

lumpy

j57 = mental midget.

johnny57

Can you add something intelligent you idiot! Give it a try! You might even surprise yourself!

lumpy

I just bring facts, johnny, look how you can’t even form a proper sentence. Case closed!

johnny57

You are the last one that should point fingers!
You can’t even put together a argument on ANY topic that has been talked about on this forum. Nothing but slurs and name calling! If you put together anything I could have a ounce of respect for you. Untill then you are still a idiot! Just the facts.

Last edited 5 months ago by johnny57
IMO

In this response, j57, pots and black kettles come to mind.

johnny57

Consider the source!

IMO

“Consider the source,” you say? If I were a teacher and grading your comprehension skills, I would be calling in your parents and/or guardians for a little chat.
I was replying to you, J57. You know, pots calling kettles black and all. These are your words, J57:
Libtards, Trudope, idiots. And, yet, you have the gall to accuse lumpy of “[n]othing but slurs and name calling!”
It’s all pots and kettles, J57.

lumpy

It just shows johnny’s true stupidity.
The end.