Hennessy’s Index: A number is never just a number
Hennessy’s Index is a monthly listing of numbers, written by the CCPA’s Trish Hennessy, about Canada and its place in the world. For other months, visit: http://policyalternatives.ca/index
- $5.2 billion
Annual cost of most recent round of public service cuts when fully implemented, as announced in 2012 federal budget. (Source: Federal Economic Action Plan 2012, p.213)
- $13 billion
Amount of yearly revenue lost to the Harper government’s corporate tax cuts in 2012-13. (Source)
- 70,000
Estimated number of real job cuts over the next three years due to federal austerity measures.
- 26
Number of years since Senator Jacques Hebert went on a hunger strike to protest the Mulroney government’s attempt to defund Katimavik, Canada’s largest youth volunteer program. He saved the program then, but the 2012 budget kills Katimavik.
- 40
Number of years youth employment centres have operated in Canada. The Harper government is closing the centres, despite the reality that youth unemployment is double Canada’s official unemployment rate. (Source)
- $20 million
Amount of cuts to Environment Canada in 2012/13, rising to $88 million in cuts in 2014/15. (Source)
- $33.9 million
Amount of cuts to Statistics Canada’s budget in 2012/13.
- 0
Amount of funding the National Council of Welfare, the First Nations Statistical Council and the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy can expect from the Harper government, which will stop funding these institutions at the end of this fiscal year.
- 10
Percentage of the CBC’s budget that has been cut this year.
- 67
Percentage of cuts to Canadian international aid agency Development and Peace’s budget this year. (Source)
- $1.5 million
Amount of money that just one charity – the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation – makes from donated pennies every year. The Harper government has announced it is taking Canada’s penny out of circulation.
- 7 to 1
Amount by which spending cuts outstrip new spending measures in Canada’s 2012 federal budget.
