Poilievre's deputy says Conservative plans to cut spending will be outlined during next campaign

Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman says Canadians will learn how her party plans to "rein in" government spending, and what cuts that may entail, during the next federal election campaign.

The Liberals have suggested that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s plans to balance the budget would include scrapping key social programs. In an interview on CTV's Question Period with host Vassy Kapelos, Lantsman was asked to clarify when and how the Official Opposition plans to tamp down the currently projected $40 billion federal deficit.

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"We're going to present a plan during the election to give Canadians the very clear choice," Lantsman said.

"Either you have a government that spends more than we have on things that we don't need or want… or you're going to have a Conservative government who is going to rein in the spending, so we can lower interest rates, lower inflation, and make sure that people can take more home of what they earn," she said.

Since becoming leader, Poilievre has offered some examples of ways he'd scale back—such as implementing a 'pay-as-you-go' law requiring every $1 of new spending be offset by $1 of savings, and scrapping the ArriveCan app. But in terms of what else may be on the chopping block, Lantsman wouldn't say.

Asked specifically to address the Liberal claims that a Conservative government would cut dental care, the Canada Child Benefit, and $10-a-day childcare, Lantsman promised "a very clear plan" is in the works, but for now, Poilievre’s party is focused on holding the government to account for its spending.

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Her comments come after a pair of Liberal MPs took to the House of Commons foyer on Tuesday to decry what they saw as a lack of information around what Poilievre's plans are, more than a year into his leadership, but potentially still years away from the next campaign.

"We have yet to see anything substantive," said Liberal MP and Deputy Government House Leader Mark Gerretsen.

Chief Government Whip Steve MacKinnon said Canadians’ attention should be drawn to "not only what he's saying, but what he is not saying. And what he is not saying, is anything about a specific plan to move Canada forward."

CTV News requested a year-end interview with Poilievre, he was not available.

LANTSMAN DEFENDS POSITION ON UKRAINE

In the interview, Lantsman was also asked about her party's opposition to a bill to implement the updated Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement over carbon pricing wording concerns, and what the Conservatives' current position is on supporting Ukraine.

Poilievre's deputy said the reason the Conservatives rejected the bill repeatedly, is because they are taking "a principled position" against the carbon tax, but they remain supportive of trade with Ukraine and further supports to assist in their war efforts.

"If we're not going to support the carbon tax for Canadians, we're not going to support the carbon tax for Ukrainians," Lantsman said. "We're a party that has a long standing history of support for Ukraine. But, we are not going to get behind the promotion of a carbon tax in any free trade agreement."

While the text of the modernized trade deal does include a broad commitment that both countries would both, bilaterally and internationally "promote carbon pricing and measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks," the legislation to implement it does not include any wording that would to force either country to have a pollution pricing plan.

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Moreover, Ukraine has had its own price on carbon for more than a decade, and officials have indicated the country is looking forward to working on further climate policies, in line with European Union membership requirements.

Asked whether funding for Ukraine would be maintained should the Conservatives form government while the war or rebuilding efforts are underway, Lantsman said she thinks there is "a lot more" Canada could do.

She dismissed Liberal-led criticisms that her caucus' recent voting record suggests Poilievre is echoing U.S. Republicans' resistance to Ukraine.

"We have supported Ukraine from the beginning, we will support Ukraine until the end," said Lantsman.