Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre delivered a fiery speech Thursday that depicted the government’s latest budget as a threat to the country’s future, and suggested a number of new social programs will get a second look if he leads the next government.

He also claimed Ottawa’s push into pharmacare could dismantle private drug insurance and leave Canadians with inferior coverage and higher taxes to pay for it all.

Health Minister Mark Holland, meanwhile, accused the Conservative leader of trying to whip up fear by raising “fake boogeyman” to distract from a program that makes contraceptives and diabetes treatments more affordable for everyone.

While he attacks the Liberals’ spending plan, Poilievre is under pressure to explain what he’d cut to fulfil his stated promise to “fix the budget” if he’s elected.

In an interview with Radio-Canada, Poilievre was noncommittal on whether child care, dental care and pharmacare would be dismantled by a government led by him — but he raised questions about the programs’ effectiveness.

  • Mongostein
    391·
    2 months ago

    It must be easy to be a conservative. You don’t have to do anything, just complain about what the other guys are doing. I wish I could have that job.

    • Yardy Sardley
      13·
      2 months ago

      Right? He can just smugly munch on an apple while thinking of low-iq rhetorical questions to interject with, and that’s the entirety of his politics. That’s all it takes to become champion of the reactionaries.

    • wise_pancake
      13·
      2 months ago

      This is what frustrates me

      Before reading the budget: it’s an inflammatory inflationary budget (except mathematically, it isn’t)

      After the details are out: it’s too much spending! Plus they throw in some straight out lies about the pharmacare.

      Why the fuck would anyone support this clown? If he was honest I could understand it, if he actually said anything of substance I could understand it. But it’s just “that’s bad” with no elaboration and clear as day lies.

      Wake me up when Pollievre, the former god damn finance critic, actually says something worth listening to.

      Oh and fuck the press for even airing the clips of Pollievre lying. They should be censured for that. Even CBC is just clips of Pierre so they look balanced.

      • Nik282000
        5·
        2 months ago

        Why the fuck would anyone support this clown?

        There is a huge demographic of people who are angry, dumb, and see their world changing in ways that scare them. They are told that they need to suck it up, their opinions are bigoted and racist, and that they are the bad guy in this story. Then chuckle-fuck comes along and validates them.

        They don’t care that he is lying only that he tells them “it’s ok to be an ignorant shit.”

    • Omega_Haxors@lemmy.mlEnglish
      3·
      2 months ago

      That’s a bit of a mischaracterization. They do in fact have to put annoying attack ads on every other party once per election season.

    • pipsqueak1984
      13·
      2 months ago

      It’s not about being Conservative, it’s about being the Official Opposition. The Liberals did the same thing when the Conservatives were in power and they’ll do the same thing when the Conservatives are in power again.

      It’s gamesmanship is what it is: why offer up ideas that your opponent will then proceed to attempt to take full credit for (and many will fall for it)? This is part of the NDP’s big failing: lots of people will ignore that they were the reason any of the good stuff got passed (the other major failings are the fact that what they did get passed is extremely watered down and that although they keep calling out the Liberals on bad policy/failings the continue to support them; they look like massive hypocrites)

      • Mongostein
        2·
        2 months ago

        why offer up ideas that your opponent will then proceed to attempt to take full credit for (and many will fall for it)?

        Because it is literally the job of the Canadian Government to do what is best for Canadians.

        This is part of the NDP’s big failing: lots of people will ignore that they were the reason any of the good stuff got passed

        Anyone paying attention will know that the NDP is working to help Canadians, unlike the Conservatives and Liberals. They’re actually doing their job as opposition by getting the party in power to get things done that are good for Canadians.

        Anyone not paying attention will vote Conservative.

        • pipsqueak1984
          14·
          2 months ago

          Because it is literally the job of the Canadian Government to do what is best for Canadians.

          “Canadian Government” refers to the executive (ministers and Cabinet) and the federal civil service. By definition, no party other than the Liberals is the government until the Liberals decide to add non-Liberal MPs as ministers or cabinet members. This is further supported by titles used, such as “His Majesty’s Government” and “His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition” in the House of Commons or “the representative of the Government” in the Senate (who is responsible for introducing and representing Government bills in the Senate after the pass the HoC).

          This is how the Parliamentary system we inherited from the British works. Perhaps you are confusing our system for a republic (like the US) where all elected members collectively form the government.

          Anyone paying attention will know that the NDP is working to help Canadians

          That’s not evident given the current decline of the country during the time period over which the Liberals have required NDP support.

          • Mongostein
            2·
            2 months ago

            Define government however you want. One party that’s not in power does nothing but bitch and moan and get in the way. Another party that’s not in power is helping to get things done that will help you and me.

            But I can see from your comments you don’t actually give a shit. Politics is like sports to you and you’re team blue all the way.

            • pipsqueak1984
              13·
              2 months ago

              I don’t know, they seen pretty effective at getting supremely dumb shit passed with the help of the other parties except for the governing party who simply wants their own version of the supremely dumb shit (S-210 and C-63)