Conservative Cuts Hurt Average Canadians
By: The Honourable John McCallum, Liberal Official Opposition Critic for
Finance
Canada is enjoying a time of unparalleled prosperity. Thanks to 13 years
of Liberal government, our country's debt is under control, our economic
growth is high and for the ninth year in a row, the Government of Canada
has reported a near-record surplus.
But despite our prosperity, this week, the Conservative government chose
to slash $1 billion in federal funding to Canada's social programs. These
mean-spirited cuts targeted our most vulnerable and marginalized citizens:
low-income families, Aboriginal Canadians, immigrants, youth, the disabled
and the illiterate.
Treasury Board President John Baird told us the cuts were necessary in the
name of "responsible spending." Finance Minister Jim
Flaherty told us that these cuts were essential so that the government
could give Canadians "value for money." But in reality, the only
thing these Mike Harris hold-over ministers have done for average
Canadians is to raise their income taxes while cutting their social
programs.
That doesn't sound much like value for money to me.
Status of Women Canada will now have 40 percent less money to help bridge
the gender gap so that all women -regardless of income or ethnicity -can
fully participate in Canada's labour force.
The Youth Employment Strategy, which helped 50,000 young people find work
this past summer has also been axed, as has the Youth International
Internship Program, which gives young people the chance gain international
work experience and make our country more dynamic and prosperous in the
decades to come.
The Harper government also has plans to eliminate the $11 million First
Nations and Inuit Tobacco Control Strategy, despite the fact that cancer
is
quickly becoming the number one cause of death among First Nations people
and the Inuit.
The list of cuts goes on and on: $18 million cut from adult literacy
programs, $45 million cut from affordable housing initiatives, and $39
million cut from regional economic development programs that create jobs
where they're needed most.
If you look closely you can see a pattern emerging. The Harper
government's funding cuts only seem to target people who don't tend to
vote Conservative anyways. In fact, the only minority groups the
Conservatives seem to be interested in supporting is the minority of
Canadians who supported them in the last election.
While the Conservatives continually claim to be standing up for Canada,
the truth is they are only interested in standing up for those who support
their narrow policies: their core constituency of voters.
Through this latest round of spending cuts, the Harper government has sent
a message to Canadians: if you don't fit the profile of a potential
Conservative voter, you are out of luck.
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For more information:
David Hurl
Office of John McCallum
(613) 996-3374
