Trudeau, Freeland 'lost control' of Canada's finances: Poilievre

Article content

OTTAWA — Just stop.

That was the message Sunday from Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre to the Trudeau Liberals, as the nation waits for the government to release its long-delayed fall economic statement.

“Stop adding inflationary spending that balloons the cost of living. Stop your carbon tax hikes, stop taxing home purchases,” Poilievre told reporters in Ottawa.

“Stop adding dangerous and irresponsible debt that threatens our social programs. Everything you’re doing, (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau, just stop doing it in this fall update, until common-sense Conservatives can start fixing everything you broke.”

As fresh snow blanketed the nation’s capital on Sunday, Poilievre said his thoughts instead turned to fall — or specifically, the government’s fall economic statement, which has yet to hit the ground.

“I hope everyone’s enjoying the snow, those big fluffy snowflakes are falling from the sky — and we still don’t have a fall economic update,” Poilievre said.

“It’s almost Christmastime — (Finance Minister) Chrystia Freeland told you that she would have one by the end of the year, after the prime minister’s office told you it was coming early next week.”

Recommended video

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

With much of the House business gridlocked in an all-opposition party supported privilege motion for the past two months, Poilievre has offered the government two hours of time during the Tory’s opposition day time on Monday to table the statement.

While Poilievre described the overture as an “unprecedented act of nonpartisan generosity,” Freeland dismissed the offer as “absurd.”

“I was shocked to see them turn it down,” Poilievre said. “They claim that they wanted to introduce such a fall update and that it was just those mean Conservatives who were blocking them from doing it, so I cleared the way — two hours — they could’ve introduced it, but they said no.”

Poilievre accused Trudeau and Freeland of “losing control” of the country’s finances, insisting that’s the reason the government is not in a hurry to table their economic update.

“Justin Trudeau is a weak prime minister,” he said, contending that his government has lost control of the borders, immigration, spending, debt, inflation, housing costs, crime and drugs.

“He’s lost control of his cabinet, with his foreign minister launching her leadership campaign on the front page of the New York Times.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume