Party leaders sounded like they were still on the campaign trail Tuesday when they made speeches in response to last week’s speech from the throne.
Conservative leader Erin O’Toole and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh took turns pointing out Canadians who said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ignoring as he embarks on his third term.
But Trudeau responded in his own speech later Tuesday, repeatedly criticizing O’Toole for his lack of leadership and his refusal to insist that all Conservative MPs get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Speaking in the House of Commons, O’Toole and Singh presented themselves as the voices of those who said they had been forgotten by the Trudeau government.
O’Toole accused liberals of fueling inflation with reckless spending during the pandemic. He suggested that Trudeau does not understand the pressures that average Canadians are under, as the price of “everything” rises because “he has never had to face pressure in his life.”
He accused Trudeau of setting “a tone of corruption” from the moment he took office in 2015 and of presiding over the “greatest decline in relations between Canada and the United States in the modern era,” pointing to a number of trade disputes, including the doubling from last week. of US tariffs on Canadian softwood.
And he claimed that Trudeau wants Canadians to be “ashamed” of their identity and culture.
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“He wants Canadians to live in shame, he wants them to be ashamed of their past, ashamed of their identity, ashamed of their culture,” O’Toole charged.
“He prefers to encourage accusations, division and conflict rather than real dialogue and reconciliation. For him, patriotism is a problem.”
For his part, Singh criticized the liberal government for failing to address the uncertainty felt by workers in the energy sectors as Canada tries to curb its greenhouse gas emissions and end dependence on fossil fuels.
Opposition leaders mock the liberal government’s #ThroneSpeech in official responses. #CDNPoli
“A just transition means that it is about fairness for workers and prioritizes workers. And it is vital that that plan is clarified and, thus far, this speech from the throne and what we have heard from this government does not provide that plan to Workers”. Singh said.
“They are left behind and are not sure of their future.”
Trudeau was no less partisan in his own subsequent speech, taking the time to specifically respond to O’Toole’s various allegations.
“Unfortunately, he didn’t really show that much on the leadership path but in trying to score cheap political points,” Trudeau told the House.
He argued that ending the pandemic is the best way to grow the economy, “however, the Conservative Party will not even confirm how many of its MPs are vaccinated. That is simply not leading by example.”
If the Conservatives had won the Sept. 20 election, Trudeau said, there would be no requirement that passengers be fully vaccinated before boarding planes or trains, which “would put Canadians at risk.”
Regarding Canada’s relationship with the United States, Trudeau reminded the House that O’Toole said it was “foolish” for Canada to impose retaliatory tariffs in 2019 in response to US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.
“We didn’t listen (to O’Toole) then … and that American administration backed down,” Trudeau said.
“Then they will understand that I am not going to learn lessons from the leader of the official opposition on how to capitulate to the Americans.”
Conservative MP Dan Albas said he found Trudeau’s speech “very partisan” and suggested that O’Toole had gotten under his skin because his criticisms were valid.
“I think Canadians want to see a little more political savvy,” Albas said.
This Canadian Press report was first published on November 30, 2021.
Reference-www.nationalobserver.com