Erin O’Toole emphasizes Canada – India ties

Toronto: Building Canada’s relationship with India and taking it to the next level where India can emerge as Canada’s second or third largest trading partner instead of being the 10th largest is an important priority for Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Leader of Canada’s Official Opposition. “We may be separated by oceans, but we are united by shared values of free market economy and democratic traditions. We are commonwealth cousins,” he said, while participating in an interactive session organized by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) in early April 2021.

Erin O’Toole said that in the Recovery Plan that he unveiled in March 2021 at the Conservative Party convention, he listed five priority areas:

• ·       Secure jobs by recovering the one million jobs lost during the pandemic within one year
• ·       Secure accountability by enacting a new Anti-Corruption law to clean up the mess in Ottawa
• ·       Secure mental health through a Canada Mental Health Action Plan
• ·       Secure our country by creating a strategic stockpile of essential products and building the capacity to manufacture vaccines at home 
• ·       Secure Canada’s economy by balancing the budget over the next decade

Erin O’Toole said that he is confident with the right leadership, the bilateral trade between Canada and India can grow exponentially. “When I was the Parliamentary Assistant for Trade under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, trade with India nearly doubled. We will do it again.” He emphasized that the Conservative Party of Canada government built the relationship through people-to-people ties.

The Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada emphasized that his party’s position on fundamental issues such as immigration remain unchanged. “Whether you have been here in Canada for three months or three generations, regardless of your religious, cultural background, whether you are an indigenous Canadian or a new arrival, if you share the ideals of hard work, free enterprise, strong families, strong communities and a principled approach on the world stage, we need your help because Canada needs your help right now.”

Speaking about the spiraling deficit, Erin O’Toole said that even before the Covid-19 spending, the present government was running a $30b deficit annually, and accumulated a $100b debt before Covid-19 hit the economy. A $160b capital left Canada before Covid-19. Now, during Covid-19, the Liberal government has put in another $400b debt; so there is a half-a-trillion dollars of accumulated debt in just five years, and we have one of the highest unemployment rates in the G7, and there is a sense that nothing can get done in Canada, which is the main cause of lack of investments.

He said Canada is built on a shared dream of utilizing opportunities through hard work and giving back. This is true for all immigrants who choose to make Canada their home. The Conservative Party of Canada would ensure that these ideals are valued and cherished and deployed in the process of nation building. “It is time to get the economy moving. It is time for an ethical leadership in Ottawa,” Erin O’Toole said in conclusion.