Ottawa has become so irrelevant to the Canadian way of life that I thought I would try to think if there was anything a Federal budget could contain that would actually affect my life. Sadly, in addition to jurisdictional irrelevance through all patry shrinking, it is likely the current Federal situation will also ensure nuttin' much happens tomorrow:
The stimulus spending package will continue, as will tax reductions. Both will be justified on the grounds of an economy that remains too fragile for the withdrawal of stimulus. This budget, therefore, will continue a Harper government tradition of never having made a hard fiscal decision since first being elected. A hard fiscal decision involves raising taxes or reducing spending, or both. All sorts of political pressures lean against tax increases or spending reductions, which is why so few governments do either. So, too, minority governments are notoriously adverse to hard fiscal decisions, since opposition parties never saw a spending program they sought to cut.
For me, the clear winner for a new policy would be a degree of income splitting. Our family pays a heck of a lot more income tax than others with similar income because one person earns it all. Sure we have child tax benefits and we even get the ridiculous beer and pop corn money now with the addition to the family but it would be better if this were settled between the adults. Overall this can be done in a tax neutral way - just not neutral to me. Next, bring back the GST to 7%. No one has spent more because the GST went from 7% to 5%. It was an invisible tax for all practical purposes that, if left in place, may well have covered half the cost of the Federal stimulus package. And ditch the taxation of US imports by private individuals brought in by car. I don't pay for groceries so why do I have to pay for Dicks Sporting Goods purchases? Why protect me from NFL footballs but not insulate local mom and pop cheese makers from Big US Cheese? Finally, cuts. What cuts to be made? Well, whatever entity stops me from buying a US satellite dish and paying for it and the monthly cost of ESPN. Stop saving me from the rest of the world. And how about cutting out the Senate. Don't want it, don't need it so why am I paying for it?
Here's the list of all Federal Departments and Agencies. Pick your own cuts. Do we really need the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency? Why two pilotage authorities? Sorry, three. And how about Jams and Jellies Canada? OK, there is no agency called Jams and Jellies Canada.
Comments
David Janes - March 3, 2010 3:00 PM
From the cornet of my eye to the edge of the screen I read that as the Candian Pearl Jam Agency.
Jay Currie - March 3, 2010 3:33 PM
I am with you on income splitting. I'd bump GST to 8%. I would not miss the Senate. I would have an exemption at the border of, say, $1000.00.
As to cuts...let's look at stuff labeled "Canadian" on the list. I would axe the bolded items.
# Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) (But for heavens sake use profiling)
# Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal
# Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility
# Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
# Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
# Canadian Coast Guard
# Canadian Commercial Corporation
# Canadian Dairy Commission
# Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
# Canadian Firearms Program
# Canadian Food Inspection Agency
# Canadian Forces Grievance Board
# Canadian Grain Commission
# Canadian Heritage
* Aboriginal Affairs Branch
* Canadian Conservation Institute
* Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board
* Canadian Heritage Information Network
* Ceremonial and Canadian Symbols Promotion
* Exchanges Canada
* International Affairs Branch
* Official Languages
* Sport Canada
* Virtual Museum of Canada
# Canadian Human Rights Commission - Oh Yeah!
# Canadian Human Rights Tribunal - Bye!
# Canadian Institutes of Health Research
# Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)
# Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat
# Canadian International Development Agency
* Youth Zone
# Canadian International Trade Tribunal
# Canadian Judicial Council
# Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation
* Canadian Museum of Civilization
o Canadian Children's Museum
o Canadian Postal Museum - We have a postal museum!?
o IMAX® Theatre
* Canadian War Museum
# Canadian Museum for Human Rights
# Canadian Museum of Nature
# Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
# Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
# Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency
# Canadian Polar Commission
# Canadian Police College
# Canadian Race Relations Foundation
# Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
# Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) - but with massively improved oversight
* Integrated Threat Assessment Centre (ITAC)
# Canadian Space Agency
# Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board - Administered by Transportation Safety Board of Canada
# Canadian Tourism Commission
# Canadian Transportation Agency
I can't imagine we'd miss much of that and we might make a profit selling off bits and pieces of the CBC (especially the land holdings)
Pok - March 3, 2010 4:38 PM
If the Pari-Mutel Agency funds itself through a levy on the actual off track betting activity then they can stay.
The real money savings to tax payers will come when we examine the duplications between federal and provincial governments.
Pok - March 3, 2010 4:45 PM
And who was the member from Cape Breton responsible for all those Cape Breton Development Corporations with their amusing focus on sales of assets?