After only a year in power, a growing number of stakeholder groups that ardently supported Justin Trudeau and the liberals in the last federal election have gone public with their disappointment.
Veterans
One of the pillars of the liberal platform was to restore lifetime disability pensions for veterans injured in the line of duty. Trudeau’s spring 2016 budget failed to meet this commitment, drawing stark criticism from veterans across the country. Calgary-Centre MP Kent Hehr is at the centre of the controversy, and has himself drawn immense criticism for his personal failure to meet the commitments made during the election campaign. As Minister of Veterans Affairs, Hehr is the member of cabinet accountable for this file. The Ottawa Citizen recently had this to say about Minister Kent Hehr, and his lack of leadership:
"Prime Minister Trudeau and the Liberals may well pay the price for Minister Hehr’s lackadaisical approach to leadership."
Indigenous Peoples
Another pillar of the liberal platform was to restore the faith of indigenous peoples in the federal government, and several specific promises were made to provide indigenous peoples “sacred obligations”. But after only one year, key indigenous groups are realizing that this was just another empty campaign promise. A recent Globe and Mail article highlighted the frustration growing in indigenous communities.
"Optimism – generated by the Prime Minister’s promise to address aboriginal rights as a “sacred obligation” – has since turned to anger. Chief Frank has declared that Mr. Trudeau is no longer welcome in Tla-o-qui-aht territory, and the broader Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council has turned away federal fisheries negotiators in protest."
A full-length article in Maclean’s also highlighted the growing sentiment that Trudeau’s commitments were empty promises, designed solely to buy votes.
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/liberals-relationship-with-indigenous-communities-sours/
Students and Young Canadians
This past election we witnessed a paradigm shift in the participation of young people in the election, with the majority of those under 35 voting for a liberal candidate. However, like so many other groups, younger Canadians are becoming more and more frustrated with the lack of follow-through by Trudeau and the liberal government. A recent Globe and Mail article brought the issue into focus, suggesting that the current liberal ‘lock’ on millennials may be at risk in the next election.
A recent Canadian Labour Congress roundtable discussion marked a turning point of Trudeau’s relationship with younger Canadians. Frustrated with Trudeau and his empty promises to students and young people, a number of attendees turned their backs to Trudeau in protest during the event. Trudeau seemed puzzled by the lack of adoration attendees had for him and his government, suggesting Trudeau is oblivious to the dire impact he and his policies have on normal Canadians.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-trudeau-protests-youth-students-1.3822504
Finance Minister Bill Morneau recently announced that young Canadians had best get used to short-term employment, suggesting, once again, that the liberal campaign promises of more jobs for young people was just rhetoric designed to lure young people to vote liberal.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/10/23/bill-morneau-job-churn_n_12612230.html
Students and families with young children are particularly impacted by Trudeau’s policies, as one of Trudeau’s first actions as Prime Minister was to eliminate important student and children’s fitness and arts tax credits brought in by the previous conservative government.
http://globalnews.ca/news/2594044/federal-budget-2016-trudeau-eliminates-harper-era-tax-credits/
Tax Payers
Tax-payers are usually disappointed by liberal governments, as liberals love to spend more than they have available, and it is always tax-payers that end up footing the bill.
During the election Trudeau campaigned on “modest” deficits. At the time Prime Minister Harper noted how unlikely this would be, but even Mr. Harper would now be surprised with how massive deficits have become. On November 1st Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced a staggering $81 billion in additional spending over the next few years, all financed with debt. Global News pointed out the shocking truth that not only will the liberal government be spending way more than it has available, but that it in fact has no plan to ever pay it back:
"But missing from the fall economic update tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons was a road map back to balanced books — or any indication when that could happen."
http://globalnews.ca/news/3038932/finance-minister-bill-morneau-releases-economic-outlook/
Prime Minister Harper left Canada in a surplus position, and in less than a year Trudeau has turned this surplus into a projected $25 billion deficit for the current fiscal year.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ottawa-federal-surplus-deficit-1.3559175
Trudeau has introduced tax increases in nearly every part of our economy. Next up is a nation-wide carbon tax that has no hope of having any impact on curbing emissions. Canadians can expect the price of literally everything to increase, because nearly everything in our economy relies on fossil fuels: groceries are shipped to us in trucks, we heat our homes and industry is powered with coal and natural gas, we can’t get around without vehicles powered by gasoline and diesel, and we use more of it in sub-zero winter climate. Canadians will not turn off their furnace in the dead of winter, or stop taking the minivan to the arena on game-day. But they will spend a lot more doing it.
Canadians deserve better than this. They deserve better than a government that cares more about being in power than doing what is right for our country, and for Canadians. Conservatives are all about common sense solutions, and in not making empty promises that they know they’ll never deliver. Canada needs a common sense conservative government to repair the damage caused by Justin Trudeau and the liberals.
Please chip in $20 and help us spread the word about Justin’s reckless record and the common sense conservative approach required to repair the damage he has done.