Patzer has problems with federal government priorities

As the country looks towards a new year and an eventual end to the crisis that has taken lives, jobs, and hope from so many Canadians, the financial impact of COVID-19 has a massive impact on their outlook for 2021.

Those who have lost work or equity due to the crisis are nearly twice as likely to say they’ll be worse off next year than those who have escaped financially unscathed so far. More Key Findings: - The share of Canadians saying that the COVID-19 response is a top issue has risen by nine percentage points since the summer, from 38 per cent in July to 47 per cent now.

- Over one-third (36 per cent) are worse off financially than they were a year ago, twice the proportion saying that they It’s official: the Trudeau government has taken the are better off (17 per federal deficit from $19 billion to $381 billion in just cent). nine months.

- Just over one-in-three That’s the staggering takeaway from Finance Minister Canadians view CPC Chrystia Freeland’s fall economic statement, leader Erin O’toole favourably. and it means Canada’s total federal debt will for the That said, onein-five first time shoot past $1 trillion in a few weeks. (22 per cent) have Critics will argue that with the global pandemic, yet to form an opinion of all this spending is necessary and with low interest him, and he maintains rates it’s really nothing to worry about. high popularity among This is wrong for at least four reasons. past CPC voters (76 per First, even if some temporary emergency spending cent). is necessary, it can’t explain why the Trudeau

The full poll can be government has managed to get such poor returns. read online at http://angusreid.org/federal-politics-finance-december/ Canada’s deficit has increased the most among its G7 peer countries and yet still has the highest unemployment rate. In fact, it sent a whopping $54 billion out the door to compensate Canadians for $21 billion in lost income. Helping people out is one thing, but piling up new debt to send people two dollars for every one dollar they’ve lost is a very expensive way to miss the target.

Second, not all new government spending is even related to the pandemic. Many of the Trudeau government’s recent announcements – from green infrastructure to child care – are simply repackaged versions of their longstanding hobby horses, trotted out under the pretext of “reinventing” the economy. And yet if there wasn’t enough money to pay for these things when the deficit was only $19 billion, how on earth can there be enough now that it’s $381 billion?

As December approaches, Canadians are coming to terms with the fact that the holidays won’t be the same this year. A new Ipsos poll for Stella Artois finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has made many Canadians reconsider their holiday plans.

Most Canadians - nearly eight in 10 (78 per cent) - typically celebrate the holidays. Most of those who do are having to rethink what this year’s celebrations should look like.

After the release of Monday’s Fall Economic Statement, MP Jeremy Patzer sees a problem in the federal government’s priorities.

In the afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland presented the statement to the House of Commons. In total, it includes a record deficit of nearly $400 billion for the current fiscal year. Despite a massive amount of dollars spent, the representative for Cypress Hills—grasslands does not think it properly addresses what Canadians are facing in the Southwest or across the country.

“The Liberal government has failed to deliver the type of response people need,” said Patzer.

“This fiscal update further proves that they have no plan to help Canadians get their lives back,” he continued. “During the spring and summer, Canadians did their part to contain COVID-19 and buy time for the government to protect people’s health and livelihoods by securing rapid tests and a vaccine. Once again, the government is failing them.”

Following Minister Freeland’s speech, all opposition parties had an opportunity to provide feedback.

On behalf of the Official Opposition, Conservative

Leader Erin O’toole called the government’s previous and current approach “erratic and confused” throughout the past year’s hardship. He specifically highlighted the ongoing lack of meaningful support for energy workers, along with the struggles of small businesses, agriculture, hospitality, and other industries.

“Minister Freeland made a point of mentioning farming as part of her family history,” recalled Patzer. “Yet, farmers have had the hardest time getting heard by this government before and during COVID. They keep getting very little support compared to what’s needed – and, even then, it comes a long time after they asked for it.”

Along with other members of the Official Opposition, Patzer is unable to support the government’s proposal.

“As things currently stand, the Liberals are way off base,” he said. “They’re choosing to focus on their own political projects and campaign announcements. They say they want to rebuild the economy when we should be saving it. Meanwhile, Canada is falling behind.”

The federal government is expected to introduce legislation in Parliament to implement new measures from the Fall Economic Statement before the end of the year.