Harper’s Majority Budget Slashes Healthcare, Pensions, CBC-Cultural Industries And Environment Gutted While Wasting Money On Expensive Crime Bills!
In addition to cuts to the Old Age Security, Budget 2012 makes deep ideological cuts to the CBC and culture creating organizations like NDB and Telefilm Canada as well as the Chief Electoral Officer, the Canadian International Development Agency and Regional Economic Development Agencies. Meanwhile, the government is imposing growing costs on the provinces, territories and municipalities while spending hundreds of millions of dollars on polling, advertising, bigger jails and expensive fighter jets. And 19,000 civil servants will lose their jobs under the current budget
OTTAWA– The Conservatives have saddled Canadians with a divisive budget that fails to make real investments in job creation, and short-changes baby-boomers and seniors, the Liberals said Thursday.
“After Canada experienced zero job growth during the last six months, we expected this budget to have one focus – jobs,” said Liberal Leader Bob Rae. “Unfortunately, this budget has no real measures to grow jobs, and address youth unemployment and Canada’s skills shortage. Moreover, it will worsen income inequality by increasing the qualifying age for the Old Age Security from 65 to 67, and by failing to make tax credits refundable for family caregivers, volunteer firefighters, children’s activities and the disability tax credit.”
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty released the 2012 Budget on Thursday, which proposes $5.2 billion in cuts to departmental spending and includes plans to eliminate the penny, extend the age of eligibility for Old Age Security by two years, and change the retirement age by five years for federal public employees.
In addition to cuts to the Old Age Security, Budget 2012 makes deep ideological cuts to the CBC and culture creating organizations like NDB and Telefilm Canada as well as the Chief Electoral Officer, the Canadian International Development Agency and Regional Economic Development Agencies. Meanwhile, the government is imposing growing costs on the provinces, territories and municipalities while spending hundreds of millions of dollars on polling, advertising, bigger jails and expensive fighter jets.
“This is a budget of division that not only pits one generation against another, but also prosperous regions against regions that are suffering,” said Liberal Finance critic Scott Brison. “For example, in Atlantic Canada, this Conservative budget kills the Atlantic Investment Tax Credit, and cuts the Department of Fisheries and Oceans by $79 million a year and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency by 19% of its operating budget. Federal budgets should bring our country together, not pit one region against another.”
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair also slammed the budget that recklessly cuts the vital services that Canadians rely on—such as Old Age Security and health care.
“Stephen Harper promised jobs and growth, but delivered reckless cuts. There’s nothing on jobs, nothing on inequality and nothing to strengthen our front-line health services. ” Mulcair said. “Mr. Harper is once again looking out for his friends, while he ignores growing inequality.”
The budget outlines the Conservative plan to raise the OAS eligibility age from 65 to 67, forcing seniors to work two years longer to make ends meet. It also unilaterally changes the funding formula for federal health transfers, short-changing provinces by a whopping $31 billion, opening the door to privatization and two-tier health care.
“The Conservatives ran an entire election campaign without saying a word to Canadians about their plans to cut OAS or health transfers,” Mulcair said. “Clearly Mr. Harper is not a man of his word.”
As recently as last June, Harper solemnly stated in the House of Commons “We will not cut pensions. We will not cut transfers to the provinces for major programs such as health care.”
Mulcair said New Democrats would oppose the Conservative budget unless it was amended to focus on the priorities of Canadians. New Democrats are calling on the Conservatives to increase targeted incentives to create good jobs, protect retirement security and provide the stable funding necessary to allow provinces to hire more doctors and nurses.
“This budget attacks the very institutions that make Canada what it is,” Mulcair said. “Conservatives want to balance the books on the backs of seniors who can’t retire with dignity, and families without a family doctor. New Democrats will hold them accountable for that.”
The budget will also see the federal public service slashed by more than 19,000 jobs over the next three years.
In total, about 12,000 government jobs will be eliminated over a three-year period, with another 7,200 jobs eliminated through attrition over the same timeframe, according to the 497-page budget document.
The budget sets out a timeline to balance the books, projecting a $21-billion deficit for this year that will turn into a $3.4-billion surplus by 2016.
Following are other some additional cuts and cost reductions set out in the budget:
The Public Appointments Commission will be eliminated;
Some official residences abroad will be sold, for an expected savings of $80 million;
The National Round Table on the Environment and Economy will be eliminated;
The Katimavik program, which allows young people to experience life in different communities, will be eliminated;
Human Assisted Reproduction Canada will be eliminated;
$378 million will be cut from foreign aid spending.
And there were budget cuts across all departments, ranging from a 1.1 per cent reduction for Veterans Affairs to a 16.8 per cent cut at Flaherty’s Department of Finance. Most fell in the range of between five and 10 per cent and will be accomplished through measures such as streamlining services between similar departments, reducing vehicle fleets and cutting travel budgets.
Canadians who travel to the U.S. for 24 hours or more will be able to bring back $200 worth of goods without paying tax or duty at the border. The current limit is $50.
For those Canadians who travel to the U.S. for 48 hours or more, the limit would increase from $400 to $800.
The change will cost the government $13 million in lost duty by 2012-13 and $17 million in 2013-14, according to estimates.
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