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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday January 30, 2009 - 11 Former Liberal MP says Tories tabled `political' budget By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is doing the right thing by supporting the budget, says longtime former Oakville MP Bonnie Brown. Although his support for the budget comes with the condition that the Conservatives provide periodic economic status reports to Parliament, the stamp of approval means a two-year $35 billion economic stimulus package will go through. Although the budget isn't ideal in the eyes of the Liberals, the worsening economic situation should be put ahead of party bickering, Brown said. "I don't think the politicians or the voters want an election now," she said. "At this point, I think everybody -- voters and politicians -- should be focused on trying to come up with plans and solutions for the economic problems of the day. To support the budget and allow this to move forward as quickly as possible is the right thing to do." While some political pundits are calling the Conservative document a Liberal budget due to its provisions for the middle and lower classes, Brown says it does not do enough for the average Canadian to deserve that title. Instead, she labelled it as a political budget. "I think the way to characterize this is a political budget," she said. "They (Conservatives) know people are scared and they are offering money to this one and that one, even against their own Conservative principles. It's called a political budget because it is supposed to guarantee Mr. Harper's survival." Brown cited examples of this as the $60 million for cultural infrastructure and the extension of "So, the problem for Canadians is going to be trying to figure out what a Conservative government is now because they've gone across the spectrum. I think it is because they really don't know what is going to work." Former Oakville Liberal MP Bonnie Brown making employment insurance more accessible. "I'm very concerned about all these layoffs we've heard about and the ones yet to come, and I'm very afraid that so many people in Ontario pay into EI, but don't have access to it because the criteria for access is too stringent," she said. "To me, they should have opened that up a bit, because if they don't, it falls to the province and the welfare system, which is inadequate for most middle-class families to maintain their homes and apartments." She said the budget should have also lowered bank interest rates, froze the salaries of executives at major corporations and increased the tax deduction for charitable donations. Brown, who is a vocal advocate of former Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, said newly minted head Michael Ignatieff has come a long way since she first met him and is now a suitable leader for the party. "I wasn't that impressed when he first got there, but he has learned very quickly and is wiser in the ways of Parliament Hill now and ready to be leader," she said. employment insurance (EI) by five weeks to a maximum of 50 weeks. "They've gone right against how they feel about the arts by putting a bunch of money in there, which is totally un-Conservative, they've extended EI, which is totally un-Conservative," she said. "So, the problem for Canadians is going to be trying to figure out what a Conservative government is now because they've gone across the spectrum. I think it is because they really don't know what is going to work." Brown said it is anyone's guess if the budget, which will leave the government deeper in debt, will actually help the country's current economic crisis. "I just think that all these packages various countries are putting together are forays into the unknown," she said. "No one is really sure that these stimulative measures are going to work. Hopefully they will restore some confidence, so that people don't stop spending money ... But on the other hand, I don't think any government, no matter what political stripe, can afford to do nothing in the face of all these layoffs." The former MP said she would have liked to see a few more items included in the budget, such as STATE FARM® DELIVERED ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, AND OUR CUSTOMERS DELIVERED THIS. 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