Media Centre

Press Releases: May 2, 2006

May 2, 2006
For Immediate Release:
 
Conservative Budget misses the mark on its responsibilities
 
Ottawa– Mississauga-Erindale Liberal Member of Parliament, Omar Alghabra, expressed his disappointment today after the announcement of the federal budget. The first Conservative budget is fiscally irresponsible, economically unwise, and lacks a vision and a plan for the future of our nation.
 
“If you believe that the federal government has a role to play in investing in the prosperity and unity of our country, you will find that the budget misses the mark,” said Omar Alghabra. “In fact, the Conservative budget will weaken the federal government as it shows a disregard for its responsibilities to the public."
 
The Conservative government has the benefit of inheriting one of the strongest fiscal conditions in recent history.  Instead of building on the best track record of the G-7 nations, they have opted for a one-dimensional, short-sighted approach.
 
The Conservative budget has serious shortfalls. Its major failures include:
 
•          Raising income tax less than six months after it was lowered by the previous Liberal government. 
•          Abandoning Early Learning and Child Care programs that would have created tens of thousands of child care spaces in Ontario.
•          Breaking a major Conservative election campaign promise by neglecting a concrete commitment to the establishment of an agency for the assessment and recognition of foreign credentials.
 
Other areas of failure in the budget include the environment, education, multiculturalism, research and development and aboriginal issues.
 
“This budget has the Mike Harris flavour all over it”, said Alghabra. “It lacks any credible vision and mortgages our future the radical way Harris did in Ontario,” he continued.
 
Omar Alghabra is committed to working hard on behalf of Mississauga-Erindale to advocate for fairness, equality and prudence to ensure that Canadians maintain the economic strength and social harmony they have enjoyed for the last decade.