All the responses to the 2011/12 provincial budget in the April 13 Winnipeg Free Press speak with one voice that is critical of this year’s budget and the NDP government that tabled it. That so many well-known political pundits (Messrs. Craig, Martin, Brown and Kelcey) would speak with such commonality may make one think that these voices represent some sort of “conventional wisdom”. In the true sense of the term, they do.
Government finance
A Brandon Sun editorial of April 2, 2011 (“So what’s the real cost of Bipole III?”) reports that, in his announcement of the revised estimate of $3.28 billion, Bob Brennan, president and CEO of Manitoba Hydro said he “does not like all these crazy numbers floating around...It’s just not good for us.” The editor conceded Brennan’s point and noted that “taxpayers and voters don’t much like it either.”
As the Sun editorial implies, the ‘crazy numbers’ originate with Hugh McFadyen’s Tories, so we contend that taxpayers should be annoyed with them, not Hydro.
Five years ago, I went looking for statistical proof that poverty in Canada was inexcusable and that its eradication was something the country could easily afford.
The proof was found by comparing the rise of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 1970 to 2005 and converting the figures to constant dollars with the same inflation-adjusted value. The gross figures were then broken down on a per capita basis to show how much each Canadian man, woman and child would have received if the total wealth produced by the economy each year had been equally divided.
Over the past 30 years, Canadians have increasingly been led to believe that community compassion expressed through charitable food handouts is the most effective way of feeding our hungry poor and homeless. Since the establishment of the first food banks in the early 1980s, domestic hunger has become increasingly socially constructed as a matter for philanthropy, not as a political and human rights issue necessitating the priority attention of governments.
Halifax – For 10 years, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives–Nova Scotia has published alternative budgets that challenge Nova Scotians to consider the best use of limited government resources. Striking a Healthy Balance: Nova Scotia Alternative Budget 2011 offers ways to redirect resources, such as the $84 million spent to rebate the provincial portion of the HST on oil and electricity bills.
If yesterday’s budget was designed to give something to everyone in order to win over voters for the upcoming election, then it is clear where the poorest and most vulnerable in our province rank in the minds of Sask Party electoral strategists.
Events around this year’s budget unfolded rapidly after its release at 4 p.m. March 22nd. By approximately 4:45 p.m., the leader of the NDP and the leader of the Bloc had both decided to vote against it. The Liberals had already made that conclusion earlier. So why analyze a budget that was a live option for all of 45 minutes? Budgets reveal government priorities — and this budget could have ramifications for Canadians for many years to come.
Budgets are about choices, they reflect a government's values and priorities.
With a $250 billion federal budget, the Harper Government could choose to invest in programs like universal child care or pharmacare... or spend that money on corporate tax cuts, prisons, and fighter jets.
We've created a poster and video to help illustrate the choices between this and that. Which would you choose?
Budgets are about choices, they reflect a government's values and priorities. With a $250 billion federal budget, the Harper Government could choose to invest in programs like universal child care or pharmacare... or spend that money on corporate tax cuts, prisons, and fighter jets.
We've created a video to help illustrate the choices between this and that. Which would you choose? Watch the video below: