Alberta Deja Vu

The tired old Tories in Alberta can only repeat one message and one message only since 1995 and that is restraint. Prepare to tighten your belts.

Having created the chimera of a mythical debt and deficit dragon that they so boldly slayed they now have nothing else to plan for. And so having failed to plan for the past decade they once again return to the tried and true.

I am having a Deja Vu flashback.

Alberta's education minister is warning the province's school boards not to expect large funding increases in the future.

Ron Liepert told a meeting of Alberta school board trustees in Edmonton Monday morning that the government needs to rein-in spending because Alberta's booming economic growth may start to slow down.

"I believe we have a potential revenue wall coming at us and it's not nearly as far out as some people think it is."

Alberta's Progressive Conservative government has decided to pump up the volume on this message, with Oberg appearing Tuesday on a radio talk show and Education Minister Ron Liepert telling a meeting of school board officials Monday that they should curb their funding expectations. Liepert says it's time for Albertans to face up to this reality as drilling is down 50 per cent from last year and corporate tax revenues are also expected to decline.

Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier keeps saying nasty things about the provincial government.

He's saying the Tories broke their word about stable funding for the future of this city which, in case nobody noticed, is the economic engine that makes the province run. Also, in case nobody noticed, it has started to come apart at the seams because of the boom that our provincial government, in its wisdom, apparently didn't see coming, and did not have a plan to deal with even after being roused from slumber.

Premier Ed, sounding somewhat steadier this day, responds to the cage-rattling of Ron Liepert, his tough-talking supremo of schools, who tells school boards Albertans shouldn't expect big dough from the province.

Ron warns the public coffers could lose a billion or more from the rising loonie. Oh my. A "potential revenue wall" is "coming at us." Ouch.

Big surpluses are done. Double ouch.

If the province doesn't hold tight to the purse strings we could one day end up in a deja vu disaster, like the early days of Ralph and his axe-swinging Ralpholution with all the cuts, to say nothing of all the nights of drinking to forget. Double vision ouch.

Seriously, Ron's Apocalypse Soon is hard to swallow.

A survey shows growing numbers of Calgarians already feel the quality of life is tanking and aren't hopeful of better things to come in the next five years.

The gong show of too many people and too little of everything is beyond rage. It is eroding psyches.

Despite this year's cash for construction from the province, including big bucks just to cover costs going through the roof because they are playing catchup at the height of the boom, there is still a huge backlog in building the province could have started on earlier by spending some windfall bucks of years past.

Alas, they didn't.

No, now is not the time to chatter about a scarcity of cash. People are not in the mood for a lecture on austerity, especially those of us who went through the '90s, paid the price, bought all the bull about sacrifice and are still waiting for the victory parade. Unfortunately, one reason you couldn't hold a parade is the streets are too clogged.

Of course, if the province wanted to give us a break and did think they'd run out of coin, Big Oil in the oilsands could pay more than a penny on the dollar in royalties.

Of course Ron could be just waving the red flag of lower expectations and budget doom and gloom to avoid paying the governments share of the Teachers Pension fund.

The task force will review options to address the teachers' portion of a pre-1992 unfunded pension liability. Since it started in the 1930s, the teachers' pension fund has been underfunded by both the government and the ATA. The liability currently totals $6.4 billion. Under a deal struck in 1992, the provincial government is responsible for two-thirds and teachers for the rest.

And while he cries the sky is falling the reality is; Centuries of oil left in Alberta



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Bye Joe, will Wappel Go?

Well Dion turfed Joe Commuzi out of caucus for simply announcing he is supporting the Conservative Budget. No great loss, he also stepped down as a Cabinet Minister when Paul Martin whipped the cabinet for the Same Sex Marriage vote. He is a member of the conservative rump of the Liberals.

Now what are the Liberals going to do about their other conservative backbencher Tom Wappel? He who voted with the government on Same Sex Marriage and more recently on the Anti-Terrorism Act;

In late February, Ontario MP Tom Wappel broke ranks and voted with the Conservative government on extending two clauses in the Anti-Terrorism Act. However, the Liberals never announced any punishment for Wappel. Dion called it an internal caucus matter.

Dion's weakness as a Leader is showing. Both these votes, the Budget and Anti-Terrorism Act were whipped votes. And he turfed Commuzi even before he actually voted whereas he did nothing after Wappel did vote with the government.

Wappel unrepentant for defying Dion on vote

Renegade Liberal will face unspecified “consequences” for defying Dion

But it seems that Dion only applies discipline to those who are not intending to run again, like Commuzi.

Of course consistency is the bugaboo of the Dion regime.


See

Dion

Liberals


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Conservatives New Nanny State

Angryroughneck a Blogging Tory denounces the Harpocrites for being Statists. I love it.

Before it was only outright socialists that fought for big controlling governments but now conservatives also believe in big intervening governments.

Ain't it a bitch when reality slaps you in the face. And my pal Rusty Idols agrees.

SEE

Conservative Nanny State

• Weak Opposition
  

• Socialist Canada

• Conservatives Want You To Work Longer

• Canadian Values

• Tories Red Budget

• Bleeding Heart Tories

• Broken Promises

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Weak Opposition

The Opposition messaging against the Conservative Budget makes me wonder where their spin doctors are. Perhaps vacationing on spring break, being the young turks they are. Let us review today's Opposition response as was officially presented in the house and during QP.

Liberals: I would have given out more money. To everyone. But youse guys have a shotgun approach with this budget.

BQ: Yes you have addressed the Fiscal Imbalance, but it is not enough, we could get more if Quebec was a nation.

NDP: This budget was created at the boardroom table not the kitchen table.

The Liberals and NDP messaging is a mess. The Conservative budget gave no big corporate tax breaks, and actually closed tax loopholes on offshore tax havens used by the rich. But they did bring in their Tax Credit for Low Income earners. Something the Liberals and NDP advocated for.

Sure they did not bring in a $10 federal minimum wage which the Federal NDP are calling for (because the Ontario NDP are calling for it in the upcoming provincial election campaign). An increase in the Federal Minimum wage is a red herring because it affects so few workers and is not even a living wage program nor a Guaranteed Annual Income, which the NDP should be advocating for.

What the problem here is that this is a Liberal budget, it is a scattergun just like they have used, and it is aimed at gaining support for the government, just like they have always done. And so it does benefit working families in Canada which was it's purpose. With its targeted tax cuts and give aways it is already causing a caucus fracture in the Liberals.

The NDP though have made their opposition to the budget a matter of closing the prosperity gap between the working class and the rich elite. Therefore it behooves them to offer an alternative budget. And their pals at the Centre for Policy Alternatives have already given them a blueprint, even before the budget came down yesterday.

Along with their child care plan, their pharmacare plan, their green plan, and other announcements they have made, all they needed was the CCPA blueprint and a plan for a Guaranteed Annual Income and they could have created an alternative budget to build an election campaign around.


Instead they went for misleading sound bites accusing the government of giving big business tax breaks that did not occur.

They even quote Lenin to make it look like they have a radical alternative, which is so much smoke and mirrors. Of course Jack may now opt for a goatee along with the mustache to show how left he is.

“For every one step forward, Conservatives take two steps back,” says Layton


Obviously Brad Lavigne is still the caucus brain trust behind this dogs breakfast. Perhaps they should have sent Brad off for a much needed spring break and come up with their own Alternative Budget. Then they would have had some credibility in opposing this budget that is all things to all people.


SEE:

• Tories Red Budget

• Bleeding Heart Tories

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Socialist Canada

Here is another example that regardless of the party in power as the Government compared to our American neighbours we sure are the socialists they claim us to be.

Yep our Conservative Government is funding mandatory vaccinations for HPV in Canada.

While of course our Americans flip their lids over this when suggested by their own governments. Why aren't more girls getting the HPV vaccine

It makes them as koo-koo as mandatory Fluoridation, Maine health officials rally for fluoridation, which they know leads to communism.

The controversy has been satirized in feature films. Stanley Kubrick's 1964 film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb satirized an urban legend with a character declaring water fluoridation to be a communist conspiracy.

There are many who fight to get fluoride banned from drinking water and to warn us of the dangers of this element, including Robert Carton, a scientist who spent 20 years working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and who has stated fluoridation is a fraud. He was convinced that fluoridation presented an "unacceptable risk to public health."

And of course Americans don't have that other socialist milestone; universal medicare, so parents will have to pay to have their daughters vaccinated against a preventable disease; HPV.

 The Federation of Medical Women of Canada
commends the federal government for making $300 million over the next three
years available to the provinces and territories to support the launch of a
national program for GARDASIL(TM), the approved vaccine for HPV-related
diseases such as cervical cancer and genital warts. The Federation is now
challenging provincial governments to follow through and rapidly make the HPV
vaccination universally available.
"With this new budget, the federal government is showing true leadership
with respect to women's health," said Dr. Gail Beck, President of the
Federation of Medical Women of Canada. "Last fall, we urged the federal
government to fund new vaccines, including GARDASIL(TM), which we believe is
the biggest medical breakthrough in women's health in many years. On
International Women's Day we reiterated our message of having the cost of this
vaccine covered and today the federal government has come through. We are now
looking to the provincial governments to help bring an end to cervical cancer
in Canada."

 In July 2006, GARDASIL(TM) was approved by Health Canada and in January
2007 the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended that
all Canadian girls and women aged nine to 26 be routinely vaccinated with
GARDASIL(TM) to help protect them against cervical cancer, among other
HPV-related diseases.

Thats why Republicanadians of the right will never get anywhere in Canada.

The budget appears to be playing well with social conservatives, with David Quist of the Institute for Marriage and the Family telling Macleans.ca that "the elimination of the marriage penalty is a good start." Quist did not take issue with funding for HPV vaccinations, criticized by some religious groups in the United States for encouraging promiscuity. But he did express regret over the decision to transfer child care funding to the provinces, saying that he would "rather see more money get into the hands of parents so they can make those choices," or failing that into the hands of businesses rather than government.

H/T To Deep Red Tory


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Canadian Values

Remember this from the Conservatives platform during the election?

Well here is an example of another broken promise by the Harper government.

They forgot the GST cut in the budget. Country must wait for GST cut

The Conservatives have finally admitted that a cut in the GST is not 'real tax relief' after all.

"Budget 2007 will strengthen the federation by restoring much-needed fiscal balance," said Minister Flaherty. "And Canadians come out ahead through real tax relief that benefits working families."

I guess 5% is not a Canadian value after all.

Since Flaherty said his budget was all about Canadian values.

" Canada is a powerful idea. We are a modern nation that stands up for Canadian values in this world.

There are values and beliefs that unite us. Make us proud. That embody what it means to be Canadian.

To achieve a better Canada, we must invest based on those values and beliefs.

First of all, we help the vulnerable—and aspire to help one another.

Secondly, we take pride in the spectacular beauty of our country, and aspire to preserve it.

Third, we cherish the universality of our health care system, and aspire to strengthen it.

Fourth, we are a caring people, and aspire to support people who need our help.

This budget makes our values and beliefs stronger."

SEE:

• Tories Red Budget

• Bleeding Heart Tories

• Broken Promises

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Tories Red Budget

Maybe it was all those Red Fridays that finally got to the Conservatives.

Cause according to their fans over at the Blogging Tories this budget was a Liberal one.

How is the Conservative budget playing with Conservatives?

As I said here.

Even their fan club in the mass media gave them thumbs down. Ottawa Sun Scoffs at the Budget

But you know the Conservatives have become the mushy middle when the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, those scions of the right who never saw a tax or spending cut they didn't like, heck Harpers right hand;Jason Kenney used to work for them, denounced the budget because it didn't do enough for the poor!!!! According to the interview with spokesperson John Williamson on CPAC last night.

"Not providing broad-based tax relief is a problem because it means that not all Canadians are enjoying the fiscal dividend that's coming from a rising surplus and savings on debt interest," said Williamson.

The corporate shill lobby denounces the Conservatives for forgetting low income Canadians. But what they really didn't like was this; Notably absent was a measure targeting the wealthier segment of the population, a reduction of taxes on capital gains.

Better to complain about the budget not helping the poor than whining about not getting your corporate tax cut.

"This is hard to distinguish from a Liberal government budget," the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's Mr. Williamson said. "It's the second-highest spending increase in dollar terms since the books were balanced in 1997-1998."

Yep Canada truly is a social democratic country when the Republicanadian right wing denounces their own government.

Irresponsible, unconservative
Don't say taxes high, then table socialist budget

And the Conservatives recognized that with their budget and all the blustering by Flaherty about representing Canadian values .Fiscal conservatism takes a holiday

Irresponsible, unconservative

Terence Corcoran, Financial Post

Published: Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The truck driver, the bank teller, the retiree. The salesperson, the farmer, fisherman. ... We cannot worry about what they say about us around the boardroom tables, but we must care what they talk about at the kitchen tables.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, at a Conservative Party convention, Saturday, March 17, 2007

Ahh, the old populist ploy. The farmer versus the businessman, the kitchen table versus the boardroom table. The literal juxtaposition isn't as important as the symbolism. Nobody expects or wants a government that runs on corporate power, so why bother raising the subject? Simple: What Mr. Harper was appealing to is the age-old collectivist code, big business versus the people, the rich versus the poor and the struggling workers.

No other explanation for Mr. Harper's comments is plausible. It is also the explanation that does more to help us understand yesterday's budget, a massive, unconservative and fiscally irresponsible expansion of government.

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Bleeding Heart Tories

Gone are the nasty neo-liberals, the would be Republicanadians and their social conservative allies, that made up the Canadian Alliance and Harpers new Conservative Party.

Harper paints Tories as party of the middle

With this budget it is the return of Brian Mulroney and his Bleeding Heart Tories, as the Economist branded his government. It is as promised Harpers make over of his Conservative government into the Mulroney Government of yesteryear. Just as Mulroney advised him to do; Harper rallies troops with call to listen to middle-class voters

He has successfully taken the middle of the road, the mushy middle, much better than even the Liberals. In fact this budget is a classic Liberal budget, sans their usual big breaks for big business. In fact it has even resurrected some Liberal programs. Harper's un-conservative spending spree

Sure there are targeted corporate tax breaks aimed at sectors like Manufacturing and small business, but balancing that out is tax rulings eliminating investment off shoring and tax havens. Something the well connected Liberals would never do.

While this will not affect the average Canadian, it should see a reduction in classified ads in the Globe and Mail Business pages and Financial Post for all those tax havens offshore and tax avoidance schemes.

And the Conservatives have made White Collar Crime a priority, true at the bottom of their list of crime initiatives, but still it's the thought that counts.

As usual the devil is in the details. But the bottom line is this is a hold the line budget. The dogmatic need to purge all things Liberal, to cancel programs that their social conservative base has long rallied against (with the sole exception of the Firearms registry), this budget had no spending cuts. And it had little in the way of social program spending either.

It was a sop to all parties and interest groups. There was something in it for the Bloc, the Liberals and NDP. It may not be what they want, or enough, but for appearances sake the Conservatives can claim they listened.

Just as Flaherty praised lobbyists like the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, whose wish list for small business was put in the budget.

Income splitting for stay at home spouses is there, long a bugaboo of the social conservative lobby for middle class wives who can afford to stay home.

Heck they even are eliminating the tax breaks for investment in the Tar Sands, by 2015. However they replaced that with a tax credit for investment in green technology for the very same Tar Sands.

And they have solved the Fiscal Imbalance by giving the provinces their choice of payment programs. A shining example of the ideology of choices so enamored by the neo-cons.

Is it an election budget, sure. Is it a program for an election or even the basis of a platform? No. But it is a budget that allows the Conservatives to stay in power. They are betting on it being winner, that is if they go into an election they can use it, and if they don't it gives them time to plan for the election next year. And as it kicks in it placates the vast middle class in Canada they hope it will improve their poll numbers.

Key suburban voters big winners in budget

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