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Conservatives make their mark on government spending with tough choices
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. (CPimages/ Fred Chartrand)
by JENNIFER DITCHBURN
September 25, 2006, EST.
https://www.recorder.ca/cp/National/060925/n0925151A.html
OTTAWA (CP) - The Conservatives put their mark on government spending Monday
with the announcement of $1 billion in cuts to programs they did not
consider priorities, from funding to Canadian museums to research on the use
of medical marijuana.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty also announced that the government recorded a
$13.2-billion surplus in the last fiscal year and that all the cash will go
toward paying down the national debt.
Flaherty acknowledged that the surplus was largely accumulated last year,
when the Liberals were in government. But he underlined that huge surpluses
were simply an indication of chronically skewed budgets that he was going to
bring in line.
"We're going to budget much closer to line," Flaherty said. "No more March
(spending) madness, no more so-called surprise surpluses at the end of the
fiscal year."
"We're going to budget prudently like people budget in Canada - not like big
shots budget."
The $1-billion figure, over two years, included savings accrued from tighter
spending, such as $47 million less for having a smaller cabinet. And it
covered areas where money was allocated but never spent, such as a proposed
new citizenship act that cost $20 million.
But Flaherty and Treasury Board President John Baird made it clear that the
Conservatives were largely making choices about what their government felt
were priorities, with many of those choices made in areas that were nurtured
by the Liberals.
Some of the cuts, over two years, included:
-$4.6 million in assistance to museums.
-$5 million from Status of Women Canada.
-Elimination of the $4-million medical marijuana research program that
tested the impact of pot on ill Canadians.
-Elimination of Law Commission of Canada.
-Elimination of $9.7 million in support to Canadian Volunteerism Initiative.
-Elimination of $10.8 million First Nations/Inuit tobacco control strategy.
"Those are the choices we've had to make, and being in government is very
much about making choices, and our choices respond to the priorities to
working families in this country," Baird said, pointing to the GST cut and
the universal child-care benefit as items Canadians wanted funded.
He added that the cuts would result in 300 to 340 job losses that he said
would be absorbed through natural government attrition.
Opposition politicians said the cuts were based on ideology.
"To do these announcements of huge cuts to the least privileged Canadians at
the same day you announce a $13-billion surplus, it tells you a lot about
the Conservative frame of mind," said Liberal finance critic John McCallum.
Said NDP MP Charlie Angus: "We've seen an exercise in ideology. They're
sitting on a massive surplus, the debt is at its lowest level in 30 years,
and it would continue to decrease regardless of what was done today."
One of the departments significantly hit was Canadian Heritage.
Status of Women Canada, with a yearly budget of $23 million, is losing $5
million through reorganization. Some pro-Conservative groups, such as REAL
Women Canada, mounted a campaign over the summer to cut the Trudeau-era
agency altogether.
The department also loses half of its museum assistance program that funds
projects at smaller museums across the country, such as the Glenbow in
Calgary or the McCord in Montreal.
John McAvity, executive director of the Canadian Museums Association, said
he felt like he had been "stood up at the altar." He said the Conservatives
promised during the election that they would increase funding for museums.
And a Commons Heritage committee, chaired by a Tory, just last week tabled a
report calling for just that.
"We've asked for $75 million per year, and instead of getting our increase
we're getting a decrease," McAvity said. "It doesn't bode well for Canadian
Heritage or pride. Museums are places where our achievements are showcased
and broadcasted to the world."
In another area related to Canadian culture, the Department of Foreign
Affairs is losing $12 million over two years for "public diplomacy," a
program which promotes Canada abroad through different cultural groups and
academics.
The Canadian Press, 2006
Newshawk: Alison Myrden - www.420times.com
Source: Canadian Press
Pubdate: September 26, 2006
Copyright: Canadian Press
Contact: CP Press - Jennifer Ditchburn
Website: https://www.cp.org/english/hp.htm
__________________
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. (CPimages/ Fred Chartrand)
by JENNIFER DITCHBURN
September 25, 2006, EST.
https://www.recorder.ca/cp/National/060925/n0925151A.html
OTTAWA (CP) - The Conservatives put their mark on government spending Monday
with the announcement of $1 billion in cuts to programs they did not
consider priorities, from funding to Canadian museums to research on the use
of medical marijuana.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty also announced that the government recorded a
$13.2-billion surplus in the last fiscal year and that all the cash will go
toward paying down the national debt.
Flaherty acknowledged that the surplus was largely accumulated last year,
when the Liberals were in government. But he underlined that huge surpluses
were simply an indication of chronically skewed budgets that he was going to
bring in line.
"We're going to budget much closer to line," Flaherty said. "No more March
(spending) madness, no more so-called surprise surpluses at the end of the
fiscal year."
"We're going to budget prudently like people budget in Canada - not like big
shots budget."
The $1-billion figure, over two years, included savings accrued from tighter
spending, such as $47 million less for having a smaller cabinet. And it
covered areas where money was allocated but never spent, such as a proposed
new citizenship act that cost $20 million.
But Flaherty and Treasury Board President John Baird made it clear that the
Conservatives were largely making choices about what their government felt
were priorities, with many of those choices made in areas that were nurtured
by the Liberals.
Some of the cuts, over two years, included:
-$4.6 million in assistance to museums.
-$5 million from Status of Women Canada.
-Elimination of the $4-million medical marijuana research program that
tested the impact of pot on ill Canadians.
-Elimination of Law Commission of Canada.
-Elimination of $9.7 million in support to Canadian Volunteerism Initiative.
-Elimination of $10.8 million First Nations/Inuit tobacco control strategy.
"Those are the choices we've had to make, and being in government is very
much about making choices, and our choices respond to the priorities to
working families in this country," Baird said, pointing to the GST cut and
the universal child-care benefit as items Canadians wanted funded.
He added that the cuts would result in 300 to 340 job losses that he said
would be absorbed through natural government attrition.
Opposition politicians said the cuts were based on ideology.
"To do these announcements of huge cuts to the least privileged Canadians at
the same day you announce a $13-billion surplus, it tells you a lot about
the Conservative frame of mind," said Liberal finance critic John McCallum.
Said NDP MP Charlie Angus: "We've seen an exercise in ideology. They're
sitting on a massive surplus, the debt is at its lowest level in 30 years,
and it would continue to decrease regardless of what was done today."
One of the departments significantly hit was Canadian Heritage.
Status of Women Canada, with a yearly budget of $23 million, is losing $5
million through reorganization. Some pro-Conservative groups, such as REAL
Women Canada, mounted a campaign over the summer to cut the Trudeau-era
agency altogether.
The department also loses half of its museum assistance program that funds
projects at smaller museums across the country, such as the Glenbow in
Calgary or the McCord in Montreal.
John McAvity, executive director of the Canadian Museums Association, said
he felt like he had been "stood up at the altar." He said the Conservatives
promised during the election that they would increase funding for museums.
And a Commons Heritage committee, chaired by a Tory, just last week tabled a
report calling for just that.
"We've asked for $75 million per year, and instead of getting our increase
we're getting a decrease," McAvity said. "It doesn't bode well for Canadian
Heritage or pride. Museums are places where our achievements are showcased
and broadcasted to the world."
In another area related to Canadian culture, the Department of Foreign
Affairs is losing $12 million over two years for "public diplomacy," a
program which promotes Canada abroad through different cultural groups and
academics.
The Canadian Press, 2006
Newshawk: Alison Myrden - www.420times.com
Source: Canadian Press
Pubdate: September 26, 2006
Copyright: Canadian Press
Contact: CP Press - Jennifer Ditchburn
Website: https://www.cp.org/english/hp.htm
__________________
