With just three days left until Canada’s 43rd federal elections, all candidates are ramping up their promises as well as their attacks.
Speaking at a rally in Fredericton, New Brunswick on Friday, Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer reiterated parts of his 100 Day Action Plan and heavily criticized the possible formation of a Liberal-NDP coalition government.
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Most notably, he talked about plans to eliminate the carbon tax by January 2020 as one of his first acts if elected.
Scheer also plans to take the GST off utility bills as a way to make heating and electricity more cost-effective, and to introduce a Universal Tax Cut that he says will save average Canadian workers $850 per year.
As another way to entice voters to switch to Conservative, Scheer heavily criticized the formation of a Liberal-NDP coalition government in the event that the CPC fails to gain a majority in the House of Commons.
He accused Trudeau of “scheming behind closed doors with the NDP” and planning to raise the GST or other taxes to appease the NDP, although neither of the two parties has proposed raising taxes.
“A Trudeau-led government with the NDP calling the shots would be the worst possible outcome for Canadians… This is the coalition Canadians cannot afford.”
He finishes by stating that a coalition government would cost Canadians thousands of dollars more every year.
See also:
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In a statement to press last weekend, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh expressed his support for forming a minority government with Trudeau’s Liberals, should the Conservatives win the most seats but fail to secure a majority.
He has since dialled back, stating that his priority is to focus on his own party’s performance. Meanwhile Trudeau has refused to state whether or not he’d be open to forming a coalition government with the NDP.
Opposition leader Andrew Scheer, on the other hand, has stated that his aim is to prevent a minority Liberal-NDP government by making sure the Conservatives secure a majority of seats in the House of Commons.
In an interview with CTV Chief News Anchor Lisa LaFlamme on Wednesday, Scheer reasoned that his party should be allowed to rule if they win the most number of seats, even if they fall short of a majority.
He justifies this by pointing out that in the last three elections, the party that got the most seats went on to form government.
However as a rule, Canada’s parliamentary system gives the incumbent Prime Minister the first chance at forming a minority government in the House of Commons.
