Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo M-P Cathy McLeod echoed Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s comments saying yesterday’s Throne Speech had nothing to promote national unity.

Speaking on The Jeff Andreas Show, McLeod says you can put words into a speech that sound nice and call for national unity, but actions need to follow. “And it’s reflecting the different concerns and interests of different regions of the country and that’s where this particular speech from the throne was very much lacking. It’s great to say the words unity, but it means you have to have listened to what the opposition is saying, what the premiers are saying, what the mayors are saying. And that’s a piece that didn’t connect.”

When it comes to natural resources, McLeod says the lack of commitment to the sector in the speech was upsetting. “There was a throw away line regarding natural resources. Natural Resources are a significant part of our GDP and we are having companies moving to the states. The softwood forestry crisis was not even mentioned, the forestry crisis in BC…. There’s the hand that feeds and the hand that feeds is our national resource industry, it’s our businesses, it’s our competitiveness. And what we’re seeing is lots of plans for spending but at the same time, policies that are driving away what will create the revenue for the government and what will create the opportunities.”

McLeod says people like ideas like a national Pharma-care plan, but that’s billions of dollars to spend when you’re driving revenue away.