[At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. Oh! had I the ability, and could I reach the nation's ear, I would today pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be denounced.
-Frederick Douglass, July 4, 1852]

Federal Budget 2006: Opportunity Lost

By Judy Randall
From CCPA Monitor

The Harper government inherited one of the most prosperous economic and fiscal situations imaginable - a thriving economy, the lowest unemployment in over 30 years, and a windfall of $10 billion more in federal coffers than the $45 billion projected in November.

Enough room, in other words, to meet the signed commitments made by the government of Canada to provide quality early learning and child care for children across the country. Enough room to redress the appalling gap between First Nations and other Canadians in terms of quality of life. Enough room to honour our international commitments on climate change and ensure the viability of the planet for our children and grandchildren. More than enough room, in fact to fund a host of overdue initiatives to improve the security and quality of Canadians lives, and rebuild the foundations of a prosperous future.

But this government isn't looking forward. It is turning back the clock. The first new national social program in a generation dies with this budget. The "choice" in child care will narrow choices for families - by halting plans to build needed spaces that would provide real choice. An historic agreement to deal with the most glaring inequality in our society, the poverty of our First Nations communities, has been shelved, despite signed commitments made by all governments of Canada, so that the Harper government can speed tax breaks to corporations, whose profits are at an all time high. And climate change for Stephen Harper is apparently as low a priority as it is for George Bush. "Get used to it", as the Prime Minister likes to say.

The hype on the first Harper budget is all about tax cuts. But today's $20 billion in tax cuts is only the prelude. By savaging programs for children, First Nations and climate change the first Harper budget found an extra $10 billion for tax cuts. His plan is to cut far more deeply into program spending, as today's tax cuts becomes tomorrow's program cuts.

Short years ago, Canadians learned after Walkerton that a $200 tax cut is a poor exchange for being afraid to drink your tap water. Finance Minister's Flaherty's promise that governments will take less out of the economy translates in fiscal terms to billions less each year to spend on needed services.

The Alternative Federal Budget, released on April 27, 2006 takes an entirely different approach. Our budget adds up, it is balanced - it has no increase in overall net taxes. But unlike Mr. Harper and Mr. Flaherty we do not believe every problem can be solved with a tax cut. We start from the premise that this government has an unparalleled opportunity to help move Canada forward and create better lives for all Canaidans. We do this by investing in services that matter most to people - like child care, health, clean air, safe drinking water, affordable housing, training, post secondary education, cities, culture, and programs to support and sustain quality jobs in Canada.

These services are necessities for all of us, and no tax cut could deliver them so efficiently or so equitably.

Judy Randall is coordinator of the 2006 Alternative Federal Budget for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.


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