Mississauga Liberals Want a Fair Economy, Fiscal Accountability

MISSISSAUGA – Omar Alghabra and Liberal Party Finance Critic John McCallum stood up for the middle class and decried the Conservative Party’s wasteful spending Thursday at a Mississauga-Erindale town hall meeting.

“Here in Mississauga, we’ve seen unemployment above the national average – more than 9.5 per cent at the end of last year,” said Alghabra. “In addition to high unemployment, the average Canadian family now owes almost $1.50 for every single dollar of disposable income. This is unacceptable, yet the Conservative Party continues to make life harder for the middle class.”

McCallum visited Mississauga specifically to speak at the event and answer questions from approximately one hundred attendees.

He expressed opposition to the Harper government’s unprecedented levels of annual deficits accompanied by corporate tax cuts that will add another $6 billion dollars to the deficit. By 2015, the Harper government is adding more than $150 billion to the national debt.

“We are at a crossroads,” said McCallum. “The Conservatives want more corporate taxes and a fend-for-yourself Canada, and we want to support people to relieve the anxiety of middle-class Canadians.”
McCallum said the Liberal Party of Canada wants to freeze corporate taxes and direct the savings to supports for the struggling middle-class.

He also reiterated Michael Ignatieff’s commitment to post-secondary education. “If you get the grades, you get to go.”

Investing in post-secondary education will help to produce a more innovative and skilled workforce, and improving financial support for families and the elderly will allow the middle-class to retire their debt sooner.
McCallum also used the event to express his support for Alghabra’s candidacy in the next election. “Omar is badly missed in Ottawa, and we need him back.”

Most of the time was spent exchanging ideas with the audience. Questions covered a wide range of items, including G20 summit security costs, bank reforms and the next election platform.

For more information on Mississauga-Erindale Liberal candidate Omar Alghabra, or to learn of future events, visit www.omaralghabra.ca.