Get the Top, Local stories delivered to your inbox! Click here to join the daily Vernon Matters newsletter.

Local MP Vows To Keep Up Pressure On Federal Liberals

Dec 28, 2017 | 7:51 AM

The MP for North Okanagan Shuswap says it hasn’t been a good year for the Trudeau government.

Conservative Mel Arnold says the government has spent the year back-tracking on some key items.

“It started out with proposed tax changes to small businesses.They had to backpedal quite quickly on that one when the public and our opposition members pointed out the errors of their ways.”

Arnold says the recent changes are better, but need more analysis.

He also says the Liberals had to backtrack on not allowing diabetics to get the disability tax credit.

Meanwhile, Arnold says the controversy over the Liberal’s Finance minister may not be over.

He feels Bill Morneau should still be facing the heat over conflict of interest allegations, and the proposed tax changes impacting small businesses.

“Those types of things. The public is starting to lose trust in this minister. It’ll be interesting to see whether he’s still there after the break. We’ve
certainly called for his  resignation over his lack of ethics in that role.”

For his part, Morneau says he’s staying put as finance minister — but does feel they could have done a better job outlining the proposed changes.

Some analysts don’t think Andrew Scheer has made much impact since becoming the new Conservative leader, but the local M-P feels he’s done a great job learning the issues.

Mel Arnold says Scheer has crissed-crossed the country to find out what’s important to people.

“That I think is important for anyone in a political role is to understand what your constituents really want. Andrew is a down-to-earth everyday Canadian. certainly comes from a different background than our elite Prime Minister.”

Arnold calls Scheer more of a quiet, listening-type leader who can guide the party back into power in 2019.