Mulcair addresses BC provincial council

VANCOUVER – NDP Leader Tom Mulcair spoke to the BC NDP’s provincial council today, bringing with him the NDP message of building a more prosperous Canada to a province dominated by recent NDP wins. Mulcair also spoke about the worrying results of Stephen Harper and his Conservatives’ reckless cuts.

“What Stephen Harper doesn’t tell you is that years of reckless Conservative tax cuts have left Canada with no room to manoeuvre in tough economic times,” said Mulcair. “Or that if we continue down this course, we will leave the greatest social, economic and ecological debt in the backpacks of future generations.”

Mulcair highlighted the dangers of Conservative policy on the environment, speaking to the recent disastrous and irresponsible cuts to environmental assessments and the fast-tracking of massive, potentially damaging projects. “Right now the Conservatives are allowing well-connected industries like oil and gas to use our air, our water and our soil as an unlimited free dumping ground.”

“How are they doing it? By dismantling basic checks and balances like environmental assessments, by muzzling scientists and attacking environmentalists and by giving final say over pipeline projects like Northern Gateway to — you guessed it — Conservative cabinet ministers.”

He finally highlighted the goals of the NDP in the coming years. “We have to take the next step, to be a serious, responsible, competent Official Opposition. One that holds Mr. Harper accountable — but also proposes solutions, and one that reaches out and unites progressives of every stripe under the NDP banner.”