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Tory candidate says Martin's first 100 days as leader have been disastrous - Stephen Butcher

By the time the election date of June 28 arrives Paul Martin will be have been the Prime Minister of this country for approximately six months.
By the time the election date of June 28 arrives Paul Martin will be have been the Prime Minister of this country for approximately six months.

What has Paul Martin done over these past six months? Did he rebuild our armed forces as he said he would? Did he work to fix the problems with our crumbling health care system? Did he stand up and accept that his government misappropriated $100 million from Canadian taxpayers in the sponsorship scandal and apologize?

The answer is no to all of the above. Paul Martin has been on the campaign trail for the past five months. He sees his role as Prime Minister is to get re-elected. Is this who we want leading this country?

During the Liberal leadership race Paul Martin said "Just watch me in the first 100 days."

He was referring to the fact that most elected leaders set the standard by which they will govern in their first 100 days. During Martin's first 100 days he was rarely seen in the House of Commons. Martin almost never participated in question period. The only media contact he allowed was to make a statement and refused to answer media questions afterwards.

Martin read a budget speech, but implemented none of it. He claimed the budget was not an "election budget" then went out over the following weeks and gave away approximately $5 billion in announcements.

Where is Martin going to take this country if re-elected? Is he going to clean house the way he did with his own party? The two people who ran against him in the leadership race, Sheila Copps and John Manley were dismissed, not by the voters, but by their own leader.

Martin has overruled the democratic process in eight ridings thus far, and appointed candidates rather than allow the voters from those ridings to
choose their representatives.

By the time of the election Martin will have put this country in a six-month limbo, spent an estimated $5 million tax dollars flying to over 40 cities campaigning and shown he's a bully by appointing his chosen candidates.

I have one question for Sudburians? Is this the man you want to lead this country?

Stephen Butcher
Conservative Candidate
for Sudbury