Singh misrepresents Conservative accomplishments
Re: “Singh addresses reconciliation and forestry”, (Cowichan Valley Citizen, July 22)
In regard to the article, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made the following curious statement: “Conservatives can’t point to a single victory. Despite being the official opposition, they’ve got not a single thing they can point to that they fought for or pushed for to make people’s lives better. It was New Democrats that drove all the positive changes that improved access to health for people.”
The statement is curious in that it is so easily proven false. Conservatives can point to many victories during the last sitting and in at least one motion Mr. Singh himself came out in public support.
Victories come in many forms. Real victories in parliament mean getting bills through the house and the senate to royal assent. Conservatives during the last sitting had five bills receive royal assent. Bills that directly improve Canadians’ lives. Bills that improve bereavement leave in the Canada Labour Code. Bills that reduce the economic tax burden for family farms when ownership is transferred from parent to child. Bills that add organ and tissue donor consent to your income tax forms. Real victories. Another three are in Senate Committee awaiting royal assent.
How many bills did the NDP shepherd into law? Zero. Not one. No real victories.
Victories in politics are different beasts. These victories are opportunities to claim success when the sitting government enacts something that you advocated. These are the victories Mr. Singh claims. The claim that he drove all the positive changes to improved access to healthcare access despite no healthcare access bills being passed this sitting. Or the claim that Conservatives pushed for nothing to improve people’s lives. Despite the fact that he publicly came out to support Conservative motions to do just that. The motion demanding the government provide “additional flexibility” in the commercial rent subsidy, wage subsidy and other support programs. The motion to support targeted sectors like hospitality and tourism, sectors critical to the economic health of Vancouver Island.
All of this information is readily available on the internet. Perhaps that is why Mr. Singh and the NDP went along with the dozens of now disallowed secret amendments to the internet censorship bill C-10 and ultimately voted in favour of the bill.
Alana DeLong
Thetis Island
(Conservative candidate)