Thread by @Red_Toryism

We need to lay down some facts in response to Poilievre's tweet where he said Harper had strong economic growth and did a great job in power. The facts beg to differ and why Harper was removed from power. Here is my thread to outline some clear facts. /1

#cdnpoli

liberal.ca/harper-growth-…

Harper growth record worst since R.B. Bennett

"This government has only one prescription for everything – austerity, austerity and more austerity." /2

"That’s the message coming from the Bank of Canada this week. But it seems lost on this government. Mr. Harper has the worst economic growth record since the dismal days of R.B. Bennett." /3

"Middle-class incomes have been flat for years, while living costs and household debt have ballooned."

That is not what the Fraser Institute told us in 2014, which said Canada had a strong middle class. Middle incomes were flat according to actual statistics. /4

"Youth unemployment remains near recession-like levels and a whole generation of young Canadians are putting their lives on hold."

Some at the time even said there was a lost generation for young people. Not sure why Poilievre would be endorsing Harper's terrible record? /5

"For the first time ever, over 50% of middle-class Canadians fear their children will not do as well as they did"

That is why the CCB was made to be more fair and why millions of Canadians were lifted from poverty, but for the Harper gov't that was never a priority.

thestar.com/opinion/commen…

The Harper administration painted itself as strong fiscal and economic managers but Harper's gov't left office with a 7.1% unemployment, stagnant growth, massive youth unemployment, some calling it a lost generation. /7

In fact, it was a recession even during good economic times back in 2015. While the rest of the world was stronger, Harper's gov't wanted to stay the course. Something most will never talk about now. Harper even promoted himself as a self-proclaimed economist. /8

In fact, watching that 2015 campaign and making it about not being ready and now having the best economy since records started being kept, I would argue that the Conservative party can never be trusted again on the economy. They failed for 10 whole years on the economy. /9

That is why Canadians removed them from power because of their attacks on youth, families, the middle class, democracy, our institutions, media, our safety nets, our health care system, immigrants, and on and on it went and still does. The CPC are a party for the rich. /10

So if Poilievre endorses Harper, then that means they both endorse terrible growth, attacking our beloved institutions, attacking the rule of law and democracy, attacking our safety nets, attacking independence, wanting a terrible economy again, and so forth. /11

Let us as progressives and Liberals help people understand why the Harper gov't was turfed from power and this thread that I created is a small snippet of why that happened but there is clearly so much more that I have to say as a student of history and as a progressive. /12