Dhaliwal Criticizes Budget for Half-action on Local Priorities and Watering-down Liberal ideas

OTTAWA- Member of Parliament for Newton-North Delta Sukh Dhaliwal took issue with Stephen Harper’s new federal budget today, showing disappointment for implementing half-measures on critical promises and recycling Liberal ideas for its key initiatives.      Dhaliwal was particularly concerned that the Conservatives’ projected budgets for the coming two years will contain well below the $3-billion contingency fund that previous Liberal Governments established as a bare minimum cushion against unanticipated economic shocks.

“The Conservatives have not only taken a half-hearted attempt at delivering previous Liberal policies, but they have also left us on the edge of a deficit” remarked Dhaliwal.  “There kind of irresponsibility is very ironic, since it was only last week that Mr. Harper was accusing Liberals of being a threat to our surpluses.”

Dhaliwal also reminded Finance Minister Jim Flaherty that it was the Liberal party that conquered the $42-billion deficit created by the last Conservative government set Canada on track for a decade of unprecedented economic growth and sound fiscal management. 

“As Liberals, we are here to ensure that this country never again falls into deficit.  The Conservatives might not take this threat seriously, but Canadians can count on myself and my caucus colleagues to be vigilant with public finances” said Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal was also angered that the budget only takes half-measures on key priorities important to Newton-North Delta.

“We were promised 2,500 new municipal police officers back in 2006, but this budget delivers nowhere near the money needed to make this promise a reality, even two years later.  The summer of 2007 saw the longest border crossing delays since 2001, yet this budget has only provided enough money for one new officer per entry point.  A previously installed rebate of up to $2,000 for clean cars has now been killed” listed Dhaliwal.  “I am sick and tired of empty rhetoric without follow through.”

The rest of the budget’s commitments left Canadians with a strange sense of déja-vu by adopting many of the measures that Dhaliwal and the Liberals championed while in office.  There’s a lengthy list: improvements in public transit, making the Gas Tax transfer to cities permanent, improving cash-flow support for livestock producers, direct support to Canada’s auto sector, increasing the Northern Residents deduction - all policies brought forth by the previous Liberal government.

“Because of the fact that so many of the Liberal party’s policy initiatives have been adopted by the Conservative government, I am not prepared at this time to defeat this government” cautioned Dhaliwal.  “That being said, if Stephen Harper is simply going to rip off Liberal ideas, what exactly is he offering to Canadians?”

Sukh Dhaliwal is the Member of Parliament for  Newton - North Delta and the Opposition Critic for Competitiveness and the New Economy.

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