Tony's list of Harper's broken promises

This article is the continuation of a news release issued today by Tony Martin, MP.

To return to the beginning of the article, please click here.

************************* But on 22 December 2008 Harper did the opposite - appointing a historic 18 unelected senators in one day at the cost of over $55 million in salaries.

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

Failed to deliver the 'Building Canada Fund'

Conservatives said:

“Our government is making the largest single federal investment in public infrastructure since World War II through our Building Canada plan - a total of $33 billion over seven years for roads, bridges, water systems, public transit and international gateways.” – James Flaherty, Budget Speech 2008, 26 February 2008

"Our Government is committed to expediting our Building Canada plan to ensure that projects are delivered as quickly as possible." –Throne Speech, 19 November 2008

The 2007 budget calculated the core of the Building Canada Fund as being $8.8 billion from 2007-08 to 2013-14.

Conservatives did:

“Because of administrative delays, the cost-shared $8.8 billion federal Building Canada Fund (BCF), announced in the 2007 budget, has, so far, financed very few projects...” – Federation of Canadian Municipalities, news release, 6 November 2008

The FCM’s analysis of the BCF shows that almost none of the $1.5 billion that should have flowed from the fund in 2007-08 and 2008-09 has actually flowed.

Harper promised families child care spaces, but never delivered.

Failed to create 125,000 new child care spaces

Conservatives said: “we also intend to invest in creating new child care spaces. This budget allocates $250 million beginning in 2007 to create real child care spaces as part of Canada’s universal child care plan. We will work with governments, businesses and community organizations to develop a plan that works, a plan that actually creates spaces.” – Jim Flaherty, Budget Speech, 2 May 2006

Conservatives did: Created no new child care spaces.

“A much-touted promise by the federal Conservatives to create 125,000 new child-care spaces may not be doable, suggests Social Development Minister Monte Solberg.” – Canadian Press, 27 September 2007

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

The Harper government was elected in part on a pledge to fix the fiscal imbalance through equalization payments to the provinces.

Yet today, Quebec, Newfoundland, and P.E.I. are all aggrieved by changes Harper has sought to limit funds to have-not provinces.

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

In the 2007 budget the Conservatives introduced the ecoAuto program giving Canadians incentives up to $2,000 to buy more efficient vehicles before new fuel-efficiency standards take effect in 2011.

However, the Conservatives cancelled the program at the end of 2008, well before the new fuel-efficiency standards take effect in 2011.

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

In March 2007, Flaherty agreed to NDP demands and said he would meet with the banks on the ATM fees that are gouging Canadians.

But he left that meeting with nothing for consumers saying: “They're independent financial institutions. They are in competition one with the other, and we'll see.” (CBC National, 5 March 2007)

Harper promised police a raise, but took it away

In June 2008, the Conservatives informed RCMP officers of salary increases of 3.5 percent in 2009 and two percent in 2010.

On 12 December 2008, the Conservatives unexpectedly informed RCMP officers by email that the pay increases that had been announced in June were being amended down to only 1.5 percent in both 2009 and 2010.

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

Harper said: "A Conservative government will … Review and amend all contracting rules to make the government’s procurement process free from political interference." - 2006 Conservative Party Platform, p. 10.

Harper did: Look the other way and refused to punish his own finance minister when he broke the rules to award a $120,000 contract to a Conservative insiders.

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

Harper said: “The government of Canada will never engage in a fire sale of assets." – Stephen Harper (Canadian Press, November 15, 2008)

But in their November 2008 economic statement the Conservatives announced that it would balance the budget by booking $10.1 billion from the sale of government buildings over the next five years.

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

Harper said he would “Introduce legislation modeled on the B.C. and Ontario laws requiring fixed election dates every four years, except when a government loses the confidence of the House...” - 2006 Conservative Party Platform, p. 44.

In May 2007, Parliament passed the fixed elections date bill, C-16, which set the date of the next election on 19 October 2009.

Yet in September 2008, Harper called a snap election because he thought he could win a majority.

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

The Conservatives called past governments’ budget leaks “improper”.

“I think the facts lead us to conclude is that from the government, and I'm speaking obviously the term widely, that from the government, this information circulated before it was public. It's completely improper...” – then opposition leader Stephen Harper, CTV Mike Duffy Live, 30 November 2005

Yet, the Conservatives leaked over $17 billion in spending from this budget.

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

Each time New Democrats have called for controls on how much credit card interest hikes can be hiked, Conservatives have said the matter is one for consumers and their banks – not government.

“The best consumer protection framework includes competition and full fee disclosure accompanied by choice. Federal law requires credit card companies to disclose interest rates and fees prior to agreements. Further, numerous credit card products with differing interest rates are available ... To ensure Canadians are fully informed of their options, the federal government does play a role. Through the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, we help consumers make informed credit card choices, including publishing a semi-annual report ... That is responsible government.” – Ted Menzies, parliamentary secretary to the minister of finance, Hansard, 2 December 2008

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