Ottawa, ON – Stephanie Kusie, Conservative Shadow Minister for International Trade, released the following statement at the conclusion of the Liberals’ Canada Investment Summit:
“Prime Minister Carney promised Canadians more investment, high-paying jobs and a strong economy. Sadly, his rhetoric has not translated into results.
“Overall business investment has declined in four of the last five quarters and remains essentially unchanged from when Mr. Carney took office. Meanwhile, a recent KPMG survey found that 57 per cent of Canadian manufacturers have paused, reduced or cancelled investment projects.
“The cause is a decade of Liberal policies that have driven investment out of Canada. Between 2015 and 2024, more than $1 trillion in capital left the country. Even today, much of what the Liberals call foreign investment is simply the purchase of existing Canadian assets rather than new investment in Canadian factories, equipment and technology.
“Rather than focusing on unlocking and unblocking our economy, the Liberals have spent the past ten years playing favourites. Liberal insider and former McKinsey Global Managing Partner Dominic Barton now chairs Invest in Canada. Patrick Pichette, a Liberal donor and former McKinsey colleague of Barton, has been handed the top position at the Liberals’ new Digital Transformation Canada bureaucracy.
“Canadians deserve to know that investment decisions are being made in the national interest, not to benefit a well-connected Liberal club or foreign investors. This is especially true given Mr. Barton’s history of advocating for deeper economic engagement with China.
“Prime Minister Carney must also provide assurances that his own extensive ties to global financial institutions and investment networks will not result in special access or special treatment.
“Conservatives support attracting investment, but it must create jobs, grow productivity and strengthen Canada. It must also protect our sovereignty, safeguard national security and ensure taxpayers are not forced to assume risks that belong to private investors.
“It must serve Canadians, not Liberal insiders.
“The solution is more than a summit. It is a real plan that gets projects approved, attracts capital, protects taxpayers and delivers results for Canadian workers.”