(Ottawa) Regaining control of public finances will be the next government’s biggest challenge, says Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre
Published at 5:00 a.m.
The size of the deficits in Ottawa represents a real “nightmare” for any government that advocates prudent and responsible management of taxpayers’ money. It will be necessary to demonstrate iron discipline to carry out the necessary cleaning, indicates Mr. Poilievre, in an interview of around thirty minutes granted to The Press just before Christmas.
In the fall economic statement, presented on December 16, the Trudeau government confirmed that the deficit for the last fiscal year had reached the sum of 62 billion dollars – or 22 billion more than what it had forecast in the budget tabled in April.
During the current fiscal year, the deficit will reach, according to government estimates, $48 billion – an amount also higher than the forecasts presented in the last budget.
If the past is any guide to the future, taxpayers should expect that the actual deficit will, once again, be significantly higher than what the Trudeau government is forecasting, says Mr. Poilievre. Since coming to power in 2015, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have never presented a balanced budget.
“Every time he forecasts a deficit, a few months later, he adds tens of billions in new spending that serves no purpose and inflates our deficits. It’s going to be even worse. When I come to power and open the books, it’s going to be a nightmare, a nightmare,” says the Conservative leader.
Consolidate public finances
How many years will it take to restore budgetary balance, as the Conservative Party promises? A four-year term? Two mandates? It is impossible to put forward a schedule without having a precise and detailed idea of the federal government’s expenditures and revenues.
PHOTO PATRICK DOYLE, ARCHIVES REUTERS
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre
“I am convinced that when I take a look at the books, I will get shivers down my spine,” continues Mr. Poilievre, to illustrate the “great concern” that the state of public finances arouses among his troops .
The management of public finances will be one of the important issues of the next elections, which could take place in the spring if the New Democratic Party (NDP) respects its promise to join its efforts with those of the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois to bring about the fall of the government at the first opportunity.
For more than a year, national polls have given the Conservative Party a lead of nearly 20 points over the Liberal Party in voting intentions.
To clean up public finances, Mr. Poilievre promises to downsize the federal bureaucracy, to put an end to the enormous contracts awarded to consultants, to cut subsidies to businesses – the “corporate BS” in his expression –, to cut the international aid and pass a law requiring one dollar of savings for every dollar of new spending.
Canadian-American relations
The other challenge that the next government will face concerns Canadian-American relations. In this regard, Mr. Poilievre does not plan to make a trip to Washington to meet President-elect Donald Trump before the next federal election.
In the Conservative delegation, Ontarian Jamil Jivani is a friend of vice-president-designate JD Vance. The two men also had dinner together at a restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, in early December.
In addition to promising to impose tariffs of 25% on all Canadian products upon his return to power on January 20, Donald Trump has repeatedly made fun of Canada, joking that he is the 51e State of the United States and calling Justin Trudeau the “governor” of the State of Canada.
“We will never be the 51e American state, declared Pierre Poilievre in an interview. We are a sovereign country, a country with a proud history and a great people. The Americans are our best allies and friends. »
If Donald Trump is having fun at Canada’s expense, it is because the Trudeau government “has lost control of everything, everything, everything.”
[Justin Trudeau] lost control of borders, lost control of immigration, lost control of spending. And now he has lost control of his office.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party
The Conservative leader recalls the resounding departure of Chrystia Freeland and the calls for the resignation of Justin Trudeau which abound within the Liberal caucus.
Mr. Poilievre also points out that the reasons given by Donald Trump for imposing tariffs – that the United States subsidizes Canada to the tune of $100 million per year – do not hold water.
“He complains about the trade surplus that Canada has with the United States. But it’s 100% energy products, gas and oil. What I’m going to say to Mr. Trump is that it’s true that this is not a good deal. But it’s not a good deal for us. It’s almost a gift that we give to the Americans. We sell our oil and gas to them at a much lower price than world market prices. »
“And this is a direct result of the bad policies of fanatics like Justin Trudeau and stupid politicians in Canada who blocked oil pipeline projects,” he adds.
Faced with Donald Trump, who wants to “make America great again”, Pierre Poilievre intends to promote “Canada first, Canada above all”.
“Fortunately, the interests of our two countries are very aligned. We can work together to be richer, more secure. But if you attack Canada with tariffs, it will weaken the Americans,” he maintains, recalling that the Americans import products from Canada that are essential to keep their economy running.
