Economic update lacks long term vision, says Rota

Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota
News Release

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According to Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota the Conservative Economic Statement, which was announced on Tuesday by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, will do very little to improve Canada’s productivity and will have no long-term positive gain for this country’s economy.

In particular, Mr. Rota identifies a 1% reduction to the GST as a poor choice by the Conservatives. “Compared with income tax cuts, a GST cut does nothing to improve the fairness of our tax system and to put money back into the pockets of Canadians. The Conservatives can talk all they want about how all Canadians will benefit from this cut, however the truth of the matter is that the people who end of saving the most are those who have the most to spend.”

Mr. Rota is also critical of the Conservatives decision to direct most of their attention to tax cuts, as opposed to investing in social priorities and the environment. “When the Conservatives took office in January 2006, they acquired the strongest economy in Canadian history, and campaigned on a platform of fiscal discipline,” says Mr. Rota. “Since that time, the Conservative government has raised federal government spending by over $25 billion, and yet the average Canadian has yet to benefit from these expenditures.”

According to Mr. Rota, “The Conservatives continue to make cuts to programs that have been proven effective and necessary tools to helping individuals and communities, and have failed to re-invest their record surpluses on the things that matter most to the people of Nipissing-Timiskaming such as improving infrastructure and eliminating poverty.”

Mr. Rota says that although the Liberals will not bring down the government by voting against the fiscal update, he believes that when the next election does take place Canadians will be faced with a clear choice. “Canadians are looking for a government with a long term vision, as opposed to one that is willing to sacrifice our future prosperity in hopes of making short term gains.”

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