Liberals Condemn Conservative scheme to sell-off Public Crown property

Compiled by Paul Chen

	Stéphane Dion .

OTTAWA - The Harper minority government appears to be embarking on a plan to sell valuable Federal goverment property to corporate interests that have provided donations and other support to the Conservative Party of Canada. Officially this planned Harper minority government "privatization" agenda is to "balance the budget".

Liberal Public Works and Government Services critic Pablo Rodriguez today condemned a Conservative plan to sell off Government of Canada assets to cover up for their poor management of the federal budget.

"After only one year in office, this government is using the old Mike Harris trick of selling government property to artificially balance the budget, while clearly spending their way into deficit," said Mr. Rodriguez.

Under the plan being considered by Public Works Minister Michael Fortier, the government would sell off government assets to the private sector, then lease back the buildings, becoming tenants in property that is currently owned by the Canadian taxpayer.

"This plan simply doesn't make economic sense. Would any taxpayer in Canada be willing to sell their house, and pay monthly rent to their new landlord, just for a quick-fix infusion of cash to pay for a new big-screen television? This is what they're proposing that the government do with their tax dollars," said Mr. Rodriguez.

This plan is pulled directly from the Mike Harris-Ernie Eves playbook used in Ontario, which resulted in massive budget deficits once the Conservatives were voted out of office, and couldn't hide their poor economic management.

Unfortunately, Public Works Minister Fortier does not sit in the House of Commons, which prevents him from directly responding to questions raised by the Official Opposition during Question Period.

"This government is showing contempt for the Canadian taxpayer. They are trying to bribe Canadians with tax cuts that they obviously cannot afford, and hiding behind an unelected and unaccountable Cabinet Minister. Ontario knows how this ends, and we cannot let them put all of Canada in the same mess that the Conservative Party left Ontario in," said Mr. Rodriguez.

The Conservative Party campaigned in the last federal election on a platform to "Stand up for Canada". It is apparent that the real agenda of the Harper minority government is to sell-off Canada to its Big Business donors, and related American corporate interests. The Harper government plans would further destroy the ability of government in Canada to respond to the needs and established policy priorities of the diverse Canadian public, free of pressures by American and other Big Business property landlords sought by Mr. Harper.

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