Kenney fails in attempt to redefine Conservative economic record

NDP candidate and former provincial finance minister Andrew Thomson (Eglinton Lawrence) says it's evident the Conservatives will try anything to mislead Canadians about their failed economic plan.

"Mr. Kenney is trying to re-write the dictionary -- but you can’t re-write the facts. The facts of the Conservative economic record are clear, and 200,000 people have lost their jobs in the past 7 years because of it," says Thomson. "Now to have Mr. Kenney come out and try to whitewash that tells you all you need to know about this government."

During a news conference on Sunday in Ottawa, Kenney turned in a transparent attempt to deflect from the Conservatives' record. Kenney said: "I'm suggesting a recession is typically defined as a widespread downturn, not a discrete sectoral downturn."

Thomson said that Kenney's attempt to play semantics misses the real point. He pointed out that the balanced budget act presented and adopted by the Conservatives defines a recession as two quarters of consecutive negative growth.

“10 years of a failed Conservative plan is a long-term reality for middle class families who just can't get ahead” said Thomson. “Canadians need Tom Mulcair’s plan for creating good jobs through targeted incentives that kickstart manufacturing and small businesses, not a redefinition of economic terms by a tired and scandal-ridden Conservative government.”