Sjoerd Witteveen photo
Prime Minister Stephen Harper touts his party's economic plan at the assembly of the Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce at the Hilton Garden Inn in Vaughan Wednesday.
Vaughan
September 10, 2008 03:32 PM
By: Keely Grasser, Staff Writer
Stephen Harper used a noon-hour stop in Concord to compare his “stable” economic plan with Liberal leader Stephane Dion’s proposed “unclear and risky” carbon tax.
During this election, Canadians face a “choice between certainty and risk as Canada looks to the future,” the Conservative leader told the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce during a luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn.
His party’s economic strategy revolves around lower taxes, less debt and controlled and efficient spending, he told the crowd, adding the Conservatives have paid down $40 billion of the federal debt since they took office.
Mr. Harper said the proper way for Canada to address the economy during a period of global instability is to maintain a stable and certain plan.
Canadians have a choice to stick to the Tories’ plan or to elect the Opposition, he said, reminding the crowd the Liberals have opposed every tax reduction his party has introduced while demanding tens of billions of dollars in new spending.
He pointed out flaws he sees in Mr. Dion’s carbon tax plan, saying the creation of a new tax “is a step in the wrong direction,” since the economic impact of it on everything is obvious. He also said the policy has no environmental objective and is an incomplete, unclear and risky policy.
During a rally in Pickering yesterday, Mr. Dion said Canada’s economy is the worst of the G7 and is coming off its worst performance in 17 years. He promised his party would cut taxes for families and invest in the manufacturing sector.
Today Mr. Harper said only his steady and certain plan will allow Canada to weather the current economic uncertainty.
Delivering the speech to the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit group representing 1,000 members of the business and professional community, Mr. Harper told the crowd he’s always impressed by the ambition and optimism of new Canadian entrepreneurs.
He gave examples of his engagement with the Indo-Canadian community while citing his work on issues of importance to new Canadians, including recognizing foreign credentials.
He briefly mentioned Thornhill’s Tory candidate, Peter Kent, but no other candidates spoke.
Mr. Harper drew some laughs as he opened his speech by joking about his family wanting him to follow their traditional career path: the Conservative leader’s father and two brothers are accountants.
“I personally discovered I don’t have the charisma to be an accountant,” he quipped.