Harper lacks credibility to deliver budget promises, Tony says

NEWS RELEASE

TONY MARTIN, MP

************************** No confidence in Harper to deliver on budget promises, says Martin

'Cooperative Liberal-NDP government ready to deliver real change'

OTTAWA - (January 27) - Despite borrowing heavily from the proposals of the Liberal-NDP policy accord in his budget, Prime Minister Harper has not convinced New Democrats that his budget plan is credible, says Sault MP Tony Martin.

“We recognize the very things that are needed to jump-start our economy, from housing and child care to renewable energy," Martin said. "Stephen Harper has spent his whole life fighting against these very things. With a credibility gap that big, it’s difficult to take their budget proposals seriously.”

“Many of these are the right measures but we need a government that will keep its promise on these commitments. A Liberal-NDP government is the best guarantee we have that money is truly spent on the priorities of Canadians," Martin said.

"The agenda of the right and Stephen Harper got us to where we are - an economy that has collapsed with many casualties. We do not believe this government will deliver on many of these welcomed programs and at the first opportunity will abandon these commitments as they have done consistently over the past three years. We need a new vision of our country and a renewed role for government that needs to be in sync with what is happening now in the United States."

After locking out the majority of parliamentarians who had lost confidence in his government, the prime minister has had a death-bed conversion, scrapping his economic update and cobbling together a budget meant to save his own job rather than the jobs of Canadians.

"The bigger question here is what kind of Canada we want and who is best suited to deliver on that vision," Martin said. "We’ve seen hypocrisy from the Conservatives on everything from Senate appointments to fixed election dates. How can they be trusted to deliver badly-needed stimulus just weeks after presenting the House with a rigidly partisan and socially regressive economic update?”

Many cities are still waiting for the infrastructure funds promised by the Conservatives in previous budgets.

The much-touted $33 billion in funding was tied up in red tape, with cities forced to seek out risky private partnerships before the government would allow the funds to be delivered.

Their current attempt at ‘streamlining’ the process involves gutting the environmental standards of the infrastructure proposals – further evidence of ineptitude on the part of the Conservatives.

Some cities have also now spent their infrastructure funding and cannot shoulder their expected one-third portion for new projects.

“Canadians can’t afford to give Mr. Harper yet another try to get it right," Martin said.

Backgrounder - broken Conservative promises [and] why we can't trust Stephen Harper to deliver for Canadian families

- Harper promised to never appoint unelected senators, but appointed a historic number of them.

- Harper promised cities infrastructure money, but hasn’t delivered.

- Harper promised families child care spaces, but never delivered.

- Failed to create 125,000 new child care spaces.

- Harper promised provincial governments fairness in equalization, but didn’t deliver.

- Harper promised to make efficient cars more affordable, but canceled the program.

- Harper said he would protect consumers from ATM fees, but failed.

- Harper promised police a raise, but took it away.

- Harper promised to protect taxpayers from pork-barreling, but let cabinet ministers get away with no-tender contracts.

- Harper promised to protect taxpayers by not selling off government buildings, but proposed doing exactly that in the economic statement.

- Parliament passed legislation to require fixed election dates, but Harper ignored the law to suit his partisan purposes.

- Harper lambasted previous governments for leaking budget information in advance, but he sent his Ministers to do exactly the opposite when his job was on the line.

- Harper maintained that government had no role to play in regulating credit card fees, but is now promising to finally stand up to the big banks.

Harper promised to never appoint unelected senators, but appointed a historic number of them

When he was running to be leader, Harper said: “I will not name appointed people to the Senate. Anyone who sits in the Parliament of Canada must be elected by the people they represent.” (Speech, 14 March 2004)

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