Dear Friends,
As we usher in the new year, I can’t help but reflect on the year that was. For New Democrats, it was one heck of a rollercoaster ride.
We celebrated one of our greatest victories and mourned one of our greatest losses. We overcame huge obstacles on our journey to government only to have more put on that path. We were led by one of the greats and now we look for someone to fill his impossibly large shoes. It’s been exhilarating and exhausting, tragic and inspiring. Inevitably, 2012 will bring even more changes.
But as your Member of Parliament, I will continue to work hard to ensure that this year the changes ahead will leave our country stronger. We need to grow our economy, create more jobs, and strengthen the middle class. We must build a Canada where no one is left behind.
There is no doubt that Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have a different agenda. They’ve already foreshadowed the program cuts that will mark their 2012 Budget, and talk of the need for everyone to tighten their belts when in fact Canadians are barely making ends meet now. Meanwhile, the tax giveaways to the Conservatives’ wealthiest friends are exempt from Harper’s axe.
It’s an agenda that my NDP colleagues and I will continue to oppose. We are absolutely committed to building a more just, green and equal country for all Canadians. I look forward to working with you as we continue on that important journey together. With warm wishes for a happy and healthy new year,