Justin Trudeau holds rally with Kathleen Wynne in Toronto - Action News
Home WebMail Saturday, November 23, 2024, 03:39 AM | Calgary | -11.7°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Politics

Justin Trudeau holds rally with Kathleen Wynne in Toronto

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau held an evening rally with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne in Toronto Monday, hours after brushing off questions about whether his close relationship with Wynne could hurt him.

Liberal leader promises 'co-operative, collaborative' relationships with premiers

Justin Trudeau campaigns with Wynne

9 years ago
Duration 4:40
The leader of the Liberal Party held an evening rally with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne in Toronto

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau heldan evening rally with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne in Toronto Monday, hours after brushing off questions about whether his close relationship with Wynne could hurt him.

Before introducing Trudeau as "the next prime minister" at Monday night's rally, Wynne lashed out at both Conservative Leader StephenHarper and NDP Leader TomMulcair.

"We said we were going to implement the Ontario Retirement Pension plan and we're doing that despite Stephen Harper," Wynne said.

OnMulcair, Wynne said he "talks a good game" on child care, wage increases and Senate reform, but his plans are unclear.

"The ideas are either incomplete,or they're unworkable, or they're impossible," Wynne said, as the crowd booedat the mention of the Opposition leader's name.

During a campaign stop in Ajax, east of Toronto, earlier in the day,Trudeauwas asked whether the police investigations into the Ontario government orWynne'sdecision toprivatizethe power companyHydro One could hurt the federal Liberals in the campaign.

Trudeausaid he had made "co-operative, collaborative" leadership with premiers a priority in his campaign, and said as prime minister he would commit to working closely with "a number of them." He also defendedWynne'sattempt to proceed with a provincial pension plan, saying it was Harper's failure to secure Canadians' pensions that made the move necessary.

TrudeaurejectsLiberal-NDPcoalition

During the Ajax campaign stop, Trudeaualsopromised to ease the government burden on middle-class paycheques, saying the middle class has been neglected by Harper's Conservatives for nearly a decade.

"The Conservatives believe the way to grow the economy is to make wealthy people wealthier, to give the most to the people who need it the least," Trudeausaid.

"This is a tougher economy than it needs to be for the middle class and those who wish to join it. Mr. Harper doesn't see that from 24 Sussex (Drive)."

Trudeauflatly ruledout a Liberal-NDP coalition to prevent Harper's Conservatives from forming another government if no party has a majority after the Oct. 19 vote.

"I do not believe in formal coalitions," Trudeau said Monday.

"The Liberal party is, of course, as it always has been, open to working with other parties elected in the House of Commons to pass the right legislation to help Canadians."

Campaigning on his plan to ease the government burden on middle-class paycheques , Trudeau dismissed the idea of governing in partnership with Mulcair, saying the New Democrat leader has no plans for the economy.

"I don't believe in backroom deals or arrangements amongst leaders," Trudeau said at a campaign stop in suburban Ajax, Ont.

"I believe that Canadians should have the full range of choices so that they can pick the team with the better plan."

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau poses with a young Team Trudeau supporter during the campaign stop in Toronto on Monday. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)

Raising taxes on the wealthy

Trudeau said the NDP would also hike taxes on corporations, stalling economic growth, but would not have the courage to increase taxes on high income earners to help fund a tax cut for the middle class, said Trudeau.

A Liberal government would raise taxes on the richest Canadians while cutting taxes for those making between $44,000 and $89,000.

"You deserve a plan that offers real growth for the middle class, not just a different government, but a better one," he said.

"We will stop giving government cheques to wealthy families so we can give more to the middle class and lower-income families."

Trudeau also saidhis proposal for a new tax-free child benefit would put more money in the pockets of those who need it most.

He saidHarper is giving money to the wealthy while neglecting the middle class and that has to change.

Wright-Duffy 'cover-up'

Trudeau also got in another dig at Harper over the Mike Duffy scandal, saying it's time for the prime minister to come clean about the involvement of a number of his staff members, some of whom are working on the Conservative leader's election campaign.

"Mr. Harper's decision not just to promote and protect people who seem to have been at the heart of this cover-up, and keep them actively engaged in his campaign, really illustrates that Mr. Harper doesn't have much respect for the office that he holds or for the intelligence of Canadians."

With files from CBC News