Harper outlines priorities of a Conservative government

CTV.ca News
Ottawa

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper kicked off the second half of the winter election campaign on Monday by outlining the top priorities of a Tory government.

"Like Canadians who establish priorities in their day-to-day lives, I know that a prime minister needs to have clear priorities as well. You can't be all things to all people at every moment," Harper said.

"You need to know what you want to do and that you have a plan to do it. Today I'd like to outline the five top priorities of a new Conservative government. The five things we will push first in the parliament Canadians choose."
The party's top five priorities include the following:

Cleaning up government by passing the Federal Accountability Act
Cutting the GST
Cracking down on crime
Increasing financial assistance for parents
Working with the provinces to establish a wait-times guarantee for patients

"A new Conservative government will quickly begin negotiations with provinces on fixing the fiscal imbalance and establishing a wait-times guarantee for critical health-care procedures," he said.

Harper also courted the key Toronto vote with the promise that a Conservative government will launch a crackdown on crime, in what is expected to be a key election issue for the vote-rich province.

"On Boxing Day, residents of Toronto watched in horror as the city was ravaged by gunfire in open daylight," Harper said, referring to the brazen shooting of 15-year-old Jane Creba on the downtown streets of Canada's largest city.

"That is not the Toronto I grew up in. We would not have tolerated such violence then and Torontonians should not tolerate such violence today."
Tory measures would include mandatory prison sentences for repeat serious offenders, Harper said.

"A Conservative government will crack down on crime. We will act quickly, we will act comprehensively and we will act decisively to fix our criminal justice system," he said.

MICHAEL McCAFFERTY comments:

Does Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party have the big 'momentum'
as we head into the home stretch for Canada's January 23rd election ?
I hope so.

Stephen Harper has been conducting an outstanding and excellent campaign that makes him worthy of becoming Prime Minister of Canada.