THUNDER BAY — Member of Parliament and cabinet minister Patty Hajdu acknowledged 2024 has been a turbulent year for Canada’s government.
“But we’ve actually managed to achieve so much this year,” she told Dougall Media in a year-end interview.
And that’s “despite the fact that we’ve seen real political shenanigans in terms of filibusters in the House and Conservatives just not wanting to get work done,” said the Liberal member for Thunder Bay-Superior North and minister of Indigenous services.
The interview took place before Chrystia Freeland dropped the bombshell of resigning from cabinet on Dec 16.
Asked by reporters on Parliament Hill for comment on Freeland’s decision that day, Hajdu said such decisions are “difficult and deeply personal … Obviously she’s made that decision and I respect her for it.”
Speaking to Dougall Media on the Friday before Freeland’s abrupt resignation, Hajdu said the governing Liberals have “managed to continue to get really hard things done.
“The Canadian dental care plan is a great example of something that I think is producing results for people right here in our riding.”
Thousands of people in Thunder Bay-Superior North “are getting dental care for the first time” in decades thanks to the federal program that started earlier this year, she said.
It took a while, Hajdu said, but a large percentage of dentists are now on board for the plan that now helps some categories of Canadians afford oral health-care services.
“What we’re seeing is probably close to 85 per cent of dentists across the country are now accepting the Canadian dental care plan.”
The country also saw “real progress on the inflation rate” and consecutive interest rate reductions in 2024, she said.
A GST holiday on some categories of goods has been instituted to help Canadians cope with high prices, she said.
“It’s been a productive year despite … obstruction in the House by Conservatives just really not wanting to get work done,” she said.
The Liberal government is “always looking for a consensus in the House about how to move forward” but Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s “attitude is to burn it all down,” she said.
“The guy is talking about tax cuts and yet when he had a chance to actually support tax cuts for Canadians, what did he do? He voted against it.”
Poilievre’s Conservatives have also been obstructing Bill C-61, the First Nations Clean Water Act, and denying the reality of climate change, she added.
The government has been working with the New Democratic Party and Bloc Quebecois “in a variety of different ways” while the Official Opposition keeps introducing non-confidence motions, she said.
“This is work that we just do day by day,” she said. “We find areas of consensus with MPs and parties that want to do things for Canadians.
“And you know, ultimately, that’s why we’re there. We’re members of parliament to do things for Canadians.
“We’re not there to obstruct the House and to get in the way of the progress that Canadians expect us to initiate on their behalf.”
Hajdu said the Liberals will “continue to work with” the United States as that country transitions to Donald Trump’s return to the presidency.
It’s important to remember that the U.S. is “our friend and our neighbour,” she said.
“And no matter who is the president, there is a way that we can work together because we have common interests.”
It’s imperative that Canada’s government understand U.S. priorities and “also ensure that our priorities as Canada are taken care of,” said Hajdu.
