Five Point Plan for Recovery
By Damien Kurek
Report from Battle River-Crowfoot MP
Secure jobs. Secure accountability. Secure mental health. Secure our country. Secure Canada’s economy. These Five points are the Conservative plan to move Canada past the COVID-19 pandemic. It appears Justin Trudeau is pushing for a spring election, and although Conservatives believe it would be irresponsible to go to the polls right now, we are nonetheless ready. Further, we have even been using our position in Parliament to push for things like a data driven plan to safely reopen Canada and increased accountability for current mismanagement. In this column, I want to share Erin O’Toole’s and the Conservative plan for Canada.
Secure jobs: In the last year, over one million Canadians have lost their jobs because of COVID. Our Conservative team is intent on regaining these jobs in every sector, ensuring Canada is able to get back to work and be prosperous. While vaccine delays, program mismanagement, targeting specifics sectors of our economy, and the many economic failures of the Liberals have held Canada back, we need a Government that puts Canadians and their future first.
Secure accountability: Since the election of Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Government, Canada has been plagued by scandal after scandal because of the Government’s corruption and poor judgement. During the course of COVID, the Liberals’ have doled out hundreds of millions of dollars to their friends. Conservatives will clean up the mess left by the Liberals by enacting new and stronger anti-corruption laws. Accountability must be at the forefront and is more important than ever while we take on the greatest health crisis in generations and ensure that Government regains the trust of Canadians.
Secure mental health: The pain and anguish caused by the pandemic has left deep scars in the consciousness of the Canadian public. The inability to see our friends and family, the restriction of movement, the financial distress of many Canadians are among many other factors that has detrimentally impacted the mental health of Canadians. Tragically, many have battled with mental health issues with some even taking their own lives. Boosting funding for partnerships with the provinces to address mental health, a national three-digit suicide prevention line, and giving incentives to employers to include mental wellness coverage are part of the Conservatives’ Canada Mental Health Plan.
Secure our country: Canada needs a plan to both address the current challenges with COVID and future challenges. We need to be prepared for other potential disasters and pandemics. The Auditor General released a report on March 25th clearly stating the Liberals failed in preparing for COVID. Conservatives will retool the National Emergency Stockpile System and ensure we can manufacture vaccines, so we do not have to rely on other countries to do the work for us. Canada needs a secure domestic supply chain, we have the capability but while the Liberals were signing contracts with their friends at the start of the pandemic, Canadians were left behind.
Secure Canada’s economy: Canada’s economy needs a post COVID-19 recovery plan. However, our society as a whole doesn’t have to be reimagined as Justin Trudeau has called for. Fiscal responsibility; exercising restraint when needed; clear fiscal anchors; a path to a balanced budget within a decade; encouraging the growth of our entire economy including energy; and reducing red tape for businesses are all pragmatic solutions that will aide Canada’s economic recovery from the COVID recession and half a decade of liberal economic mismanagement.
The Conservative Party of Canada’s Five Point Plan will guide the actions we take to protect you from COVID-19, the damages that have ensued, respect provincial and regional differences, and bring good governance back to Ottawa. I will continue to work diligently here in Battle River-Crowfoot and with my colleagues in Ottawa to ensure you are represented and your voice is heard.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this column, you are encouraged to write MP Kurek at 4945-50th Street, Camrose, Alberta, T4V 1P9, call 780-608-4600, text 403-575-5625, or e-mail damien.kurek@parl.gc.ca. You can also stay up to date with Damien by following him on social media @dckurek. If you are in need of assistance regarding a Federal Government program, or need assistance and don’t know where to turn, feel free to reach out to Damien’s office.