Canada now has 300,000 more unemployed workers than before the recession, and while the Pontiac is the most economically depressed MRC in the province, the new budget introduced by the Conservative Finance Minister offers no new money for job creation.
Canada now has 300,000 more unemployed workers than before the recession, and while the Pontiac is the most economically depressed MRC in the province, the new budget introduced by the Conservative Finance Minister offers no new money for job creation.
I had expected the government to be in problem-solving mode to help the people in the Pontiac and other regions facing economic hardship. I asked the Conservatives to revise their economic policy in order to stimulate the region’s economy. Why not offer tax breaks to businesses and create jobs by modernizing our infrastructure, for example?
By ignoring these requests and opting to introduce a “do nothing” budget, the government is acting irresponsibly and disrespecting the citizens it is supposed to represent.
People come up to me and tell me they are worried. They wonder why the forest industry receives next to nothing to modernize, and why small businesses are being choked by government red tape. They criticize EI reforms that rob them and their families of security and an income. These are issues we face every day, but the Conservative budget does nothing about them. It’s very disappointing and incomprehensible.
As Treasury Board Critic, I condemn the government’s unilateral decisions to restrict public servants’ access to health care, and increase pension plan contributions by new public servants, thereby creating a two-tier system. There are thousands of public servants in the Outaouais region. When the Conser-vatives attack them, the region’s entire economy pays.
I invite constituents to contact me with their comments on the budget.
Mathieu Ravignat
PONTIAC MP
