Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, spoke out against the new spending plans announced by the Liberals. So far, the Conservatives have not shared their own detailed platform with cost estimates. REUTERS
Canadians kept showing up at advance polls on Sunday, making the most of early voting. While people lined up to cast their votes, the country’s main political leaders were out on the campaign trail.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservatives, began his day in Surrey, British Columbia. He visited a grocery store and spoke about inflation. He promised that, if elected, his government would cut $10 billion in federal consultant fees. He said this would help bring down inflation.
"Inflation is what happens when governments spend money they don't have, so they just print the cash. More money bidding on a fixed supply of goods equals higher prices for everything," Poilievre said.
Canada’s inflation rate dropped slightly to 2.3% in March. But food prices are still up by 3.2% compared to last year. Poilievre blamed the current Liberal government for rising consultant costs. He said he would bring those costs back down to earlier levels seen under the previous Conservative government.
He also criticized the Liberals’ new plan, which proposes $129 billion in new spending over the next four years. He argued that such spending will make inflation worse.
Mark Carney, the Liberal leader running in Ottawa’s Nepean riding, spent Sunday campaigning with supporters. He defended his party’s plan, saying it would make Canada stronger and more independent. He said the new spending would help the country handle trade tensions with the United States.
Poilievre also criticized Carney personally. He accused him of “printing money” while serving as the governor of the Bank of England. Poilievre said this led to inflation in the U.K. Carney held that job from 2013 to 2020 and oversaw some financial decisions during the COVID-19 recovery period. Both the U.K. and Canada saw high inflation in 2022.
Carney hit back during his rally in Nepean. He told supporters that he had already achieved more in nine days than Poilievre had in his long political career. “Poilievre has got his pension,” Carney added, taking a swipe at his rival.
Carney also warned Canadians about former U.S. President Donald Trump. He said Trump is a big threat to Canada’s future. “We need that strong mandate because President Trump is trying to break us, so that America can own us,” he said. “That will never happen.”
Poilievre avoided answering a question about whether he would remove the current freeze on buying or transferring handguns. He said most handguns used in crime come from the U.S., and promised to crack down on gun smugglers.
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the NDP, campaigned in Victoria, British Columbia. He told voters not to put all their trust in just one party. He used an Easter metaphor and said, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
Sunday marked the second-to-last day for advance voting. It began with record numbers on Friday, with nearly two million voters turning out. Elections Canada said lines were long again on Saturday, and they are working to keep wait times shorter.
