What would you think of a boss who stole company funds, cut benefits for higher profits, and consistently went back on his word? You’d probably expect him to be fired. And yet after four consecutive mandates the Liberals are asking Canadians for yet another turn in office. As the campaign presses on past the halfway mark, you can bet their announcements will be heavy on recycled policies coupled with a healthy dose of fearmongering. Before you buy into their proclamation that they love Canada the most or their rhetoric branding Stephen Harper as the devil incarnate, it is necessary to examine the Liberals track record on some major issues over the past 12 years.
Think the Liberals deserve reelection? Read the Chrétien/Martin Red Book of 1993 and count how many Liberal promises have been implemented and how many of those are the same promises being made by the Liberals today. From a national child care program—re-promised again in 1997 and 2000—to “restoring honesty and integrity” to Ottawa, the Liberals will say anything to get them re-elected.
Recently Martin stood up and lambasted the U.S. for not having a “global conscience” when it comes to the environment. While it may have scored him some cheap political points, it is completely without merit. Independent international organizations rank Canada’s environmental record of the past 10 years as one of the worst, if not the worst, among first-world nations. In fact, despite ratifying the highly symbolic Kyoto protocol, our greenhouse gas emissions have gone up 24 per cent since 1990, compared to 13 per cent for the U.S.
Look at their horrific treatment of our military. Twelve years of massive cuts to the military have left us unable to properly equip the men and women who risk their lives for Canada. Under Liberal rule, Canada has fallen to 153 out of 192 ranked countries in military spending based on GDP. Not only have the Liberals yet to fulfill their 1993 pledge to replace the aging Sea King helicopters, they have made us a joke in the international community. Recall when we sent troops into Afghanistan wearing jungle green garbs instead of purchasing the required desert sand uniforms. While we do not need to be a military powerhouse, we should at a minimum provide our troops with the proper .
Another example of Liberal neglect is seen in rising rates of child poverty. In 1989, the House of Commons voted to effectively end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. Today child poverty has actually slightly increased, with more than one million kids trapped in poverty. The Liberals have sat on their hands as Canadian children continue to struggle for survival. Unfortunately, our inaction on poverty spreads beyond our borders. Canada spends only 0.3 per cent of its GDP on third-world aid, nowhere close to the 0.7 per cent benchmark advocated by world leaders and public figures alike.
But perhaps the area most damaged under Liberal rule has been health care. The Grits have all but destroyed this cherished institution. When the Liberals took office in 1993, the World Health Organization ranked Canada’s health care system as number one in the world. Twelve years of Liberal rule later, we have fallen to number 30. The lowlight of the Liberal’s health record can be found in the more than doubling of wait times over the past few years. While mismanagement partly s for this dismal record, sheer neglect and incompetence play a greater role. Keep this in mind when the Liberals proclaim themselves as the only party capable of protecting health care.
Yes, we have had multiple surpluses under the Liberals, but that does not make them prudent financial managers—it is easy to balance the budget by slashing social program funding by 25 per cent. Surpluses aside, look at nearly any major issue and Canada has been worse off under the Liberals. The examples cited above are just a sampling: crime, Canadian unity, and U.S. relations are a few more.
The Liberals drape themselves in the Canadian flag, arrogantly saying that they know what’s best for Canada, that only they espouse true Canadian values. Corruption is not a Canadian value. Propping up a broken health system while people die on waiting lists is not a Canadian value. Allowing violent and drug crime to fester is not a Canadian value. The Liberals have betrayed Canada, not defended it.
If ever your vote could help change Canada for the better, this is that opportunity. So get out there and vote Conservative, or NDP, or Green. Vote anyone but Liberal. Canada can only move forward under a new government replete with fresh faces and new ideas. What do we have to lose?
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