Federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre visited Surrey Wednesday to tour a Surrey business — and to hammer home his continued attacks on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
He made a stop Wednesday afternoon (May 15) to tour Falcon Equipment. Poilievre took the opportunity to call out Canada’s other federal parties, calling them “wacko” and “Marxist” in a speech to a small crowd of employees and supporters.
Falcon Equipment, which is headquartered in Surrey, was founded in 1988 by Rick Kielan. It has over 100 employees with five locations across Western Canada and now offers a wide range of products and services, including lifting equipment, rail equipment, snow and ice removal equipment and utility trucks.
“Thanks to all of you, the brilliant workers who build this country and literally build the machines that build this country,” said Poilievre to the crowd.
Poilievre told the crowd that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has made it harder for working Canadians.
“The deal was if you arrived from anywhere on planet Earth, you could do anything as long as you worked hard,” Poilievre said. “But after nine years of Trudeau, the NDP and their wacko socialist policies, that deal is broken. They tax you and punish your work. You make it, they take it,” Poilievre added.
Poilievre also spoke about his plans, if he were to get elected in the next federal election, to axe the carbon tax, fix the budget, stop crime and build homes.
Poilievre said the biggest cost associated with building a home in Vancouver is related to getting a permit.
“If you add up all the parts, the development charge tax, the delay, the consultants, the lawyers, it costs $1.3 million for every single, newly built Vancouver home,” he said. “That’s why Vancouver has the most expensive real estate in North America and the third most expensive in the entire world.”
“I will require municipalities to speed up permits, lower development charges and taxes and free up land to build. They will be required to permit 15% more housing completions per year as a condition of getting federal funds. If they missed the target, they’ll lose their money. If they beat the target, they’ll get a bonus,” Poilievre added.
Poilievre told the Now-Leader that if elected, this would be introduced within his first budget.
“I will also immediately action a plan to sell off 6000 federal buildings and thousands of acres of federal land to build, build, build (homes),” Poilievre said.
Poilievre added that he wants to “get more boots, not more suits, to build the homes and build everything we need in this country.”
Federal Opposition Leader @PierrePoilievre visited Falcon Equipment in Surrey on Wednesday, May 16. During his visit, he toured the facility and addressed a small crowd of employees and supporters. pic.twitter.com/guOOv9cUUe
— Anna Burns (@AnnaBBurns) May 16, 2024
He said he also wants to be harder on crime. “My common-sense plan is to make repeat offenders ineligible for bail, parole or house arrest. It will be jail not bail, jail, not bail.”
Poilievre also reiterated his plans to cancel the federal firearms buyback. “We’re not going to take away the licensed, law-abiding people’s firearms. We’re going to let you keep your hunting rifle and your sport shooting weapon and do so lawfully and go after the gun criminals and the gun smugglers instead — sounds like common sense to you.”
The crowd applauded when Poilievre stated if he were elected he would ban all members of Parliament from any involvement in the World Economic Forum. “We’ll make sure there’s no central bank digital currency, you’ll be able to control your money,” he said.
“Whatever person’s freedom is another person’s freedom and that’s why instead of divide and conquer, which we’ve got from this controlling, and Marxist government, we’re going to go with unite for freedom.”
Poilievre visited several other businesses and organizations on Wednesday (May 15) in North Delta and Richmond.
Met the next generation of Canadian wrestlers & martial artists coached by our Conservative candidate @jessysahota_ and his group of volunteers who teach Lower Mainland kids discipline, hard work & respect. pic.twitter.com/3hGxxZH0lo
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) May 16, 2024
