Mr. Speaker, over the past decade, the people of Winnipeg North have had to pull together in the face of abandonment by the Liberals who cut housing renewal programs, job search kiosks, front line tax offices, employment insurance for part time working mothers, and core funding for women's programs.
Now, along come the Conservatives taking away what little we have left that actually helps build a vibrant, local economy, and helps people find security and dignity in the face of all odds.
Shame on the Conservatives for taking away the very essence of community self-help: summer career placement jobs, literacy training, crime prevention initiatives, aboriginal supports and women's programs.
Governments can be guilty of many sins, but the most unconscionable, the absolutely unforgiveable, is a government that takes away the very tools that lead to renewed communities and productive lives.
As the Winnipeg Free Press says today, “But what kind of ideology opposes literacy and regards money spent in the battle against illiteracy as 'fat'?”
Shame on the Conservatives.