POLITICAL LOWLIGHTS OF 2014 – #4: Stephen Harper’s Conservatives Seem Incapable of Working with the Provinces

In 2014, we saw a Conservative government plagued by scandals, out of touch with challenges facing Canadians and preoccupied with photo-ops and their own partisan interests. Meanwhile, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals fail to hold Conservatives to account and, after two years, we still have no idea where they stand on key issues.

A year’s worth of scandals and ineptitude condensed into our annual list of the top political lowlights of the year... LOWLIGHT #4: Stephen Harper’s Conservatives Seem Incapable of Working with the Provinces

Stephen Harper’s Conservatives seem totally unable to work with the provinces. Not only have they made several decisions that will leave serious gaps in the provinces’ finances, they’ve taken particular joy in causing unnecessary conflict by abdicating their constitutional responsibilities to consult the people impacted by their decisions.

The growing list of controversial issues includes:

• Ending home delivery of mail and closing several Canada Post outlets across the country;
• Cutting CBC funding, which has had a particularly devastating effects on minority language groups and regional news bulletins;
• Imposing employment insurance reform that has hurt regional and seasonal economies and placed a heavy social burden on provincial social assistance plans;
• Eliminating $36 billion in federal health care transfers and refusing to renew the agreement with the provinces, despite their growing needs;
• Foot-dragging on compensation for industrial and regional industries affected by the Canada-EU free-trade agreement (cheese producers, fishing industry, etc.)
• Their stubborn, unilateral decision to impose a toll on the new Champlain Bridge, contrary to the advice of all stakeholders in the greater Montreal area;
• A refusal to work with the Government of Ontario to improve the public transportation network (Metrolinx); and
• Abandoning all initiatives to provide access to much-needed affordable housing.

Canadians deserve a government that works in harmony with the provinces and territories.

Canadians deserve better. And after nine years of Stephen Harper, Canadians just can’t afford to wait for Justin Trudeau to get ready.

Tom Mulcair’s New Democrats can be trusted to hold Conservatives to account while fighting for families and proposing common sense solutions for issues they are facing every day.