Liberal Budget Continues to Disappoint Canadians!

April 16, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

Ottawa, ON – Dr. Stephen Ellis, Member of Parliament for Cumberland-Colchester, and Conservative Shadow Minister for Health, issued the following statement:

“Despite countless photo ops and videos, today’s budget announcement does nothing for working-class Canadians. The ballooning inflationary deficit will continue to drive up interest rates, and the national debt will continue to pile up. It speaks volumes about the state Canada is in today that the federal government is spending $54.1 billion on service charges on our bloated debt. This exceeds what it is allocating to the provinces for healthcare.

“The budget includes the failed Canada Dental Plan, which has proven to be inaccessible to Canadians. Only 8 out of 1170 dentists in the three Maritime provinces have signed up for the program. This botched Liberal project has created a bureaucratic nightmare and administrative disaster for dentists and patients alike. The NDP-Liberal coalition has once again left Canadians out in the cold.

“Moreover, the budget doubles down on the Trudeau government’s hollow, failed pharmacare program, which is more of a pamphlet than a program. The additional spending on this public relations exercise will result in fewer medications being covered for Canadians, less choice, and no reduction in cost.

“Canadians will be hard-pressed to find a Liberal announcement that does not feature lavish promises that seldom come to fruition. This budget is no exception, promising the addition of 6600 new healthcare providers. It’s worth noting that previous Trudeau budgets promised 7500 healthcare workers, which never materialized. All of this while 6.5 million Canadians are suffering without access to primary care services. Canadians deserve better than false hope and cynical promises.

“Common sense Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, cap the spending, and we will not support this budget. We will implement a Blue Seal program to solve the healthcare crisis. Liberals talk; Common sense Conservatives will deliver.”