Prince Albert MP, Conservative Randy Hoback. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

Speech Reaction

Liberal throne speech raises concerns for Canada and prairies: Hoback

Sep 23, 2020 | 7:00 PM

The MP for Prince Albert, Conservative Randy Hoback, has joined the chorus of opposition party criticism of the Liberal government’s throne speech. The speech promised to introduce or greatly expand COVID-19 benefit programs and supports for nearly every sector of society.

Among those promises Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would extend the federal wage subsidy program into next year and target support for businesses hardest hit by the pandemic.

But the Conservatives say the plan has no measures to control government spending and they will not support it.

Account for the spending

“No one is preaching austerity but what we want to make sure is that the money is being spent, targeted and addressed properly and is accountable and there is respect for taxpayers who foot the bill in all these expenses,” Hoback told paNOW. “For him [Trudeau] to say money is cheap and we can go out and spend a pile is unacceptable. The money needs to be targeted on COVID and to spend it on anything other than that is irresponsible which is what the Liberals are doing.”

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Hoback said the speech failed to address issues of transfer payments to provinces for health care and how to move forward with improved testing mechanisms for COVID-19. And he was particularly alarmed by a lack of mention of the oil and gas sector while the government repeated talk of an ambitious green agenda.

“The oil and gas sector is needed for years to come and we’re the most environmentally-friendly resource extractor on the planet,” Hoback said, arguing Trudeau was “hanging the sector out to dry for an ideological bent.”

“To let Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and other countries – who are not nearly as environmentally conscious as us – produce all the world’s requirements is irresponsible and does nothing for climate change,” he said.

Canada’s reputation

New Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole called for Canada to reshape its trade future with Indo-Asian countries and suggested Trudeau had “paid a price” for its relationship with communist China.

Hoback, who has extensive experience in international trade matters, said China’s reputation through the pandemic had been damaged and traditional western allies like the U.S., U.K., Japan and Australia were banding together to take care of each other and secure PPE and equipment needs. But he questioned Canada’s status in the world under Trudeau.

“Canada is left out of that group and when asked in our meetings with different leaders on the trade file they say they don’t trust us, they don’t trust Justin Trudeau.”

With files from The Canadian Press

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow