NEWS RELEASE

March 10, 2005                                       For Immediate Release

CONSERVATIVE PARTY UNIFIED AGAINST BUDGET

“Above all, farmers and ranchers need someone working now to solve border issues and to push to have money delivered to farmers, not spending the next few months campaigning without addressing these issues.”

OTTAWA – The Conservative Party of Canada stood united Wednesday evening as the entire caucus put the brakes on the Liberal Party’s plan to derail Parliament at a huge cost to Canadians. The Conservative Party caucus unanimously abstained from voting on the 2005 federal budget. Abstaining from the vote ensures the Conservative Party can continue to push the Liberal government to solve the border issue and aid farmers in time for spring seeding.

“Contrary to the reports on television, Conservatives did not, nor were asked, to stay away from voting,” said Garry Breitkreuz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville. “We agreed to abstain from voting, that was a caucus decision.”

Breitkreuz has made it clear the 2005 budget, as laid out by Liberal Finance Minister Ralph Goodale, could not be supported. Yet, had the majority voted against it, all government business including ongoing efforts to address the farm crisis, the gun registry and softwood lumber would simply cease until after a required federal election. In a parliamentary system, votes on the budget are votes of confidence. Had the Conservative Party voted against the budget, an election would have been automatic.

“I think this is a terrible budget. Not a single Conservative M.P. supports it,” said Breitkreuz. “Spending $130 million for agriculture over five years is a kick in the teeth to our producers. The Liberals spend that much on a totally useless gun registry in one year. However, it would have been irresponsible for us to call for an election at this time. It is a waste of hundreds of millions of dollars and it would likely result in no change. Above all, farmers and ranchers need someone working now to solve border issues and to push to have money delivered to farmers, not spending the next few months campaigning without addressing these issues. The agriculture industry can’t wait.”

The Liberal budget was supported by both the NDP and Bloc, despite much talk of its defeat by NDP and Bloc Party leaders. That support came one day prior to the budget vote when both the NDP and Bloc voted against a Conservative Party amendment and in favour of the budget’s original wording.

“My colleagues in the Conservative Party and I are committed to hold the Liberal government accountable for every action,” said Breitkreuz. “We have an opportunity in the next few months to change the numbers in the line items in the budget and we will focus on making positive changes there.”

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