"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!"
-Homer J. Simpson

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Harper to "Fix" fiscal imbalance - or you know, not

According to the CBC Prime Minister Harper is all set to keep one of his major election promises and be an all-around good guy:


Radio Canada reported Monday that Ottawa will increase transfer payments to the provinces in the area of education, post-secondary education and infrastructure.
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As well, Quebec would get an extra $1.5 billion in equalization payments.
Oh wait.

I don't live in Quebec.

Make that, Harper is about to deliver a screw job to Saskatchewan


From the story:

It suggested that half of the revenues of the provinces drawn from natural resources be included in the calculation of equalization payments.
What was that promise again? The one the Conservatives made in their platform?

You know, in writing?

Oh yeah:

Work to achieve with the provinces permanent changes to the equalization formula which would ensure that non-renewable natural resource revenue is removed from the equalization formula to encourage economic growth. We will ensure that no province is adversely affected from changes to the equalization formula.




Lies.

All lies.

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Update:

As Greg over at political staples points out:


So Alberta and Saskatchewan (otherwise known as the core base) will be opposed. Danny Williams will be hoping mad and Dalton "election year" McGuinty will pile on. Out of the frying pan into....another frying pan Ms. Ambrose - this will be very interesting.
Well, at least one of the top Conservative Cabinet Ministers is on it. I mean, Ms. Ambrose did such a good job in Environment that she got this.... promotion.

right?

right?

Uperdate:

Buckdog has a nasty-looking picture of Harper up and also seems to have a copy of the conservative platform. I smell the NDP campaign in Saskatchewan being formed right here on the web!

And here is what one of the blogging tories has to say:


This will probably cause some trouble with Sasketchewan ,Alberta and Newfoundland. I think it is worth that risk.
Typical. If it helps Quebec, screw the west!


Upper-UpperDate:

Paul Wells is in on the act!


As another election promise breathes its last gasps

Hey, someone in Lorne Calvert's office: remind me the names of those Saskatchewan Conservative MPs who used to bug the Liberals about resource revenues and equalization? Let's make their lives hell, shan't we...
Mr. Wells, if the Premier's office doesn't get back to you you just have to look here

1 comment:

Dylan said...

Fantastic post!

As a Westerner I am obviously concerned over transfer payments to provinces and the equalizaion formula.

However, being a very untypical (if that is a word) of the Western Canadiadn lot, I did not buy Harper's bit about how HE will "fix" the fiscal imbalance in the country.

As every politician in a position of power - or encroaching on an even greater position of power (a majority government) they will abandon the west to appease the places where they have the most potential for growth - Quebec and Ontario.