(OTTAWA) Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on Friday reiterated his belief that “everything seems broken” in Canada and attacked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for proposing otherwise.
Posted at 5:13pm
Mr Poilievre addressed Tory MPs during their two-day retreat from the caucus before Parliament resumes next Monday in the House of Commons.
This return comes as the country faces the possibility of a recession.
His speech offered a critical appraisal of Justin Trudeau’s nearly eight years in power. He began his speech by asking, “What is happening in our country? »
Meanwhile, Mr. Poilievre described the suffering he believes Canadians are suffering – whether from high food prices or from what he described as out-of-control crime – in areas where he believes the government is failing. He cited the recent holiday travel chaos as an example.
Everything seems broken. Oh, Justin Trudeau will be offended that I said that. He thinks that if we don’t talk about the problems he caused, those problems will be forgotten. In fact, he said I should never speak about these subjects because Canadians have never had a better life.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative leader backed this latest comment, citing Trudeau’s remarks at the Liberal’s year-end party last month, where the Prime Minister countered the Conservative leader’s message by telling his supporters, “Canada is not broken”.
Mr. Poilievre took the opportunity to draw attention to the controversy surrounding the McKinsey company. “It’s going very well for McKinsey, isn’t it,” he said. Yes, you are right, for your little liberal friends, Justin, things are going very well.”
He accused Mr Trudeau of not being able to see how much people are suffering and said their problems were Mr Trudeau’s only fault.
“If you don’t believe me that there is suffering in our country, dear Justin, then come with me to northern Ontario where the elderly have to live in the cold because they can’t pay your carbon tax on their heating,” said Poilievre .
He went on to cite a second example, this time in Quebec, where seniors are “hungry” because they can’t afford the soaring food prices due to Mr. Trudeau for fertilizers, he says.
Mr Poilievre also mentioned families who have lost loved ones to drugs.
He also said immigrants have been waiting “months and months” to sponsor a family member while Mr Trudeau “allows 90,000 people to illegally cross the border at Roxham Road. »
“Yes, it was you, Mr. Trudeau, who caused those increases,” the Conservative leader condemned.
For his part, Justin Trudeau responded to Mr Poilievre’s remarks on his way to the Liberal caucus by saying that the Conservative leader was fueling people’s anger rather than “offering them solutions”.1
Mr Poilievre told MPs on Friday morning that cities across the country were becoming “crime zones” under Justin Trudeau’s rule, suggesting the prime minister is taking no responsibility.
Poilievre cited Toronto as an example after a series of violent incidents on the city’s mass transit system in recent weeks.
A Statistics Canada report released last November shows that the country’s homicide rate has risen for the third straight year, with cities like Winnipeg and Regina having the worst rates per capita. The Crime Severity Index fell in 2021 and 2020 after five years of rising.
“If Justin Trudeau can’t do anything about it, then why is he here? Canadians deserve better,” he said to cheers and applause from the congregation.
Mr Poilievre concluded by promising that Conservatives would “turn the pain Justin Trudeau caused into the hope Canadians need”.
Financial Responsibility
Mr. Poilievre just completed a tour that included stops in Quebec, Northern Ontario and Winnipeg.
And while his first few months in leadership were focused on moving into office, he’s now good at leading a 116-strong faction.
This is not without problems. This week, at Mr Poilievre’s request, the party leader advised MPs that they must set an example of fiscal responsibility by ending the practice of taxpayers paying for internet services at home.
The House of Commons allows MPs to reimburse these expenses through their office budget, but Conservatives have asked their MPs and staff to stop doing so.
Emails from The Canadian Press show several rural MPs have expressed their displeasure and asked the party not to change policy until Friday’s caucus meets to discuss it.
Asked about those concerns, Mr Poilievre’s spokesman, Sebastian Skamski, referred to an earlier statement by opposition chief whip Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who said the change was made in light of the high cost of living.
Poilievre also released several position papers over the past week, including an announcement that he plans to consult with First Nations to improve their access to resource revenues from their land.