Ottawa Journal: Disappointing July Job Numbers

September 9, 2016 · 0 Comments

By David Tilson, MP

Dufferin-Caledon

On August 05, 2016, Statistics Canada released the unemployment rate for July 2016.

The numbers were disappointing for Canadians, to say the least.

Ontario, in particular, experienced the worst loss of jobs in July. The significant loss in jobs across the country is most concerning and demonstrates the Canadian economy is struggling and that after more than eight months since taking office, the current Liberal government has failed to deliver jobs and economic growth.

According to Statistics Canada, the Canadian economy lost 31,200 jobs in July and the unemployment rate rose to 6.9 per cent (up from 6.8 per cent in June), which is the largest one-month drop in full-time employment in five years. Here in Ontario, 36,000 jobs were lost in July, signifying the first considerable drop in the province since September 2015. Furthermore, 110,000 full-time jobs have been lost across the country in the last two months.

Canadians from coast to coast to coast are understandably concerned by these recent numbers. Unfortunately, the current Liberal government doesn’t have a jobs plan. In fact, the government is raising taxes on job-creating businesses across the country making it harder for out of work Canadians to find employment.

The government is raising taxes by introducing a CPP tax hike that will cost a family with two working parents as much as $2,200 per year; breaking their promise to reduce taxes for small businesses; slashing the amounts that Canadians can save tax-free; ending the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit and the Children’s Art Tax Credit; as well as ending tax credits for post-secondary education and textbooks.

Canadians have no reason to trust the current Liberal government when it comes to managing Canada’s economy. This government claimed that if it borrowed tens of billions of dollars, it could grow the economy and create jobs. However, the reality has been something else entirely, as it’s failed to deliver real results for middle-class families and the Canadian taxpayer has been left on the hook to pay the bill.

During the first nine months of being in office, the current government has broken two key promises: to keep deficit spending under $10 billion annually and to keep taxes low for middle-class families.

Going forward, the current Liberal Government will continue to borrow billions of dollars to pay for their out-of-control spending.

What’s more frightening is that the government doesn’t have a plan to pay the money back and this is why it is raising taxes on Canada’s middle class.

Hardworking middle-class Canadian families can count on the Conservative Opposition to stand up for them and to hold the Liberal government accountable for its out-of-control spending.