HALIFAX -- Conservative leadership candidate Tony Clement says the head of the International Monetary Fund is "spouting left-wing ideology" in praising the fiscal policies of the Trudeau government.
Clement was reacting to comments from Christine Lagarde, who met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa on Tuesday and gave her stamp of approval to his economic policies. She said she hoped they would "go viral" and spread to the European Union.
When asked about the endorsement, Clement said, "If she's spouting left-wing ideology, she's wrong. That's not the way to go."
The former cabinet minister said bluntly that Lagarde and Trudeau appeared to be favouring a "tax and spend" strategy that will not create jobs.
Conservative MP Lisa Raitt also says that while it's nice to have Lagarde's approval, both she and Trudeau failed to explain how the federal Liberal government will pay for its spending.
The MPs made the comments as they headed into their second day of a Conservative caucus retreat in Halifax, where the leadership contest, immigration and electoral reform were dominating discussions.
