Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and the Official Opposition, issued the following statement on the GDP numbers released by Statistics Canada:
 
“Today’s GDP numbers confirm that our country and its workers are in desperate need of economic leadership.
 
“We are almost a year into the pandemic and Justin Trudeau has failed to put forward an economic plan that will get Canadians back to work. Under the Liberal government, Canada has had a record economic decline, the highest unemployment in the G7, and the worst economic growth per capita since the Great Depression.
 
"The fact is Canada spent more per capita in this crisis and is achieving the worst outcomes in the G7 when it comes to employment, vaccine rollout, and business confidence.
 
“Unlike the Trudeau Liberals, Conservatives will work hard to promote an economic recovery that benefits all Canadians. This means jobs and growth in every sector of the economy and in every part of the country.
 
“Conservatives are ready to do whatever it takes to get the economy back on track and secure our future. Canada’s Conservatives got us out of the last recession – and I know we can lead Canada out of this one too.”

OTTAWA, ON – The Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and the Official Opposition, today released the following statement in response to the Trudeau government’s Fall Economic Statement:
 
“Without a plan for vaccines, there can be no plan for the economy.
 
“Canadians have only asked one thing of this government: what is the plan? This Fall Economic Statement answers that question – there is no plan.
 
“I am really glad the Liberals took my proposal from my leadership platform this spring on support for parents by boosting the Canada Child Benefit. I’m glad because this was a concrete proposal to help families, and especially moms, who need it the most. But we know Canadians need more.
 
“The truth is the Liberals’ economic response has been erratic and confused. Millions more Canadians were put on the CERB than necessary when their jobs could have been maintained if the Liberals had implemented a wage subsidy earlier.
 
“The Canadian economy was already showing serious signs of weakness before the pandemic hit. Ignoring our warnings, the Liberals took pride in running large structural deficits and raising taxes in good economic times. Now, Justin Trudeau is running a historic deficit of almost $400 billion – and still leaving millions of Canadians behind.
 
“My experience in the military and in business demands of us to learn from our failures.  We must provide stability and certainty to those who rely on us. While the Prime Minister prefers to compare himself to the worst student in the class, I want to strive for Canada to be the best.
 
“While Americans are talking about mass vaccination throughout January, our government is talking about getting Canadians vaccinated for September. The Minister of Health talks a great deal about caring for Canadians, but there is only way to describe how we got in this situation: incompetence.
 
“We need to get this country working again. With a government that will put the prosperity of all Canadians ahead of the special interests of a select few, Canada will emerge from COVID-19 stronger, richer, and more determined than ever before.
 
“Canadians deserve certainty, clarity, and competence from their government. Canadians deserve a real plan for the challenges we face today, so that our children will have opportunities tomorrow.”

Ottawa, ON – The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and of the Official Opposition, today issued the following statement on the Conservative Opposition Day motion calling for better supports for small and medium sized businesses:

“There is no Canadian economy without our small and medium sized businesses. It’s as simple as that. For Conservatives, these businesses are our country’s backbone, the local shops that keep communities together.

“In bringing forward today’s motion, our Conservative team sends a strong message on behalf of Canadians.

“The government should be postponing audits of these businesses until at least June 2021. Small business owners and their staff deserve better than this.

“We also ask for additional flexibility in the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, and other support programs. While the government made it easy for everyone, including some wealthy individuals, to apply for the CERB, they keep adding red tape for small businesses.

“The rent relief program was far too restrictive and only allowed large landlords to apply for relief, rather than tenants. It required businesses to have lost 70 percent of their revenues in order to be eligible, but if your revenues fell by 69 percent, you got nothing.

“Today there are tens of thousands of businesses in Canada that aren’t getting the help they need – at a time when Canada already has the highest unemployment in the G7.

“And if they shut down, all of Canada suffers. That’s because small businesses provide employment for millions of Canadians from coast to coast.

“They help moms and dads work hard and provide for their families; they offer the first job out of school; like Rom Sandhu of Sandhu Computers in Edmonton, they are often set up and operated by new Canadians; and, they stayed open when so many Canadians worked from home.

“Justin Trudeau likes to pit Canadian workers against small businesses. I’m here to tell him Canadian workers want small businesses to stay open.

“Because whether he likes it or not, Canadians don’t want two more years of the CERB – they want to get back to work.”


The Conservative Opposition Day motion is:

That, given that the pandemic has had devastating consequences on Canadian workers and businesses, especially in the restaurant, hospitality and tourism sectors, the House call on the government to: (a) immediately pause the audits of small businesses that received the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy until at least June 2021; and (b) provide additional flexibility in the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, and other support program.

The motion can also be found here.

Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Andrew Scheer, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and of the Official Opposition, today announced the Back to Work Bonus, a Conservative proposal to make the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) more flexible and generous.

“Since the pandemic began, Conservatives have been putting forward constructive solutions to help Canadians,” Scheer said. “As provinces reopen, Canadians are optimistic about their futures and anxious to return to work.  They just need a helping hand.”

Under the Conservative plan, Canadians who lost their jobs through no fault of their own during the pandemic will continue to receive their full $2,000 CERB.  In addition, as businesses reopen, workers who make between $1,000 and $5,000 per month would qualify for the Back to Work Bonus, a gradually phased out CERB top-up.

“Conservatives believe it should always pay to work,” said Scheer.  “By making the CERB more flexible and generous, workers will have the support they need to transition back into the workforce.”

Despite a global pandemic, the private sector created almost 330,000 new jobs in May.  This continued private sector growth will be integral to Canada’s economic recovery.  Canada needs to be firing on all cylinders. 

“Conservatives are focused on getting Canadians the help they need.  We know that our economic recovery will be driven by Canadians’ hard work, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Scheer.  “The Back to Work Bonus will help Canadians get ahead.” 

See backgrounder for full policy details.