Trudeau’s plan will lead to cuts to vital services

Today, NDP Industry Critic Peggy Nash criticized the Grand Canyon-sized hole left in Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s economic plan asking what they are going to cut to fill it.

“Justin Trudeau’s economic plan has a hole so big it could be a tourist attraction,” said Nash. “His deficits keep growing faster than the Bay of Fundy tides come in and out. He has a responsibility to be clear with Canadians for once about what cuts he’s going to fill his Grand Canyon sized budget hole with ­-- is it healthcare, education, or seniors’ care -- Canadians deserve answers.”

Nash points to the Liberal Leader’s economic numbers which show that they will be running deficits of at least $10 billion a year for each of the next three years. These deficit commitments are in addition to other announcements they’ve made: $4.8 billion over four years for the Kelowna Accord, $4.6 billion for the healthcare escalator, at least two billion to the provinces to incentivize carbon pricing, and more.

That’s at least another $11.4 billion added to the hole he’ll have to fill with cuts.

“Justin Trudeau is playing a risky game that will inevitably mean cuts to vital services – what will they cut and how deep?” said Nash.

Nash pointed out that the size of the Liberal cut needed to balance the budget in 2019 is larger than the entire annual provincial budgets of at least four Canadian provinces.

The last time the Liberals played this risky game in the 1990s we saw cuts to healthcare, affordable housing and education – their cuts were deep and have had a lasting impact across the country.