March 3, 2003                                                         

BREITKREUZ’S RESPONSE TO THE 2003 BUDGET

The spending estimates have just been released that go along with the government’s 2003 budget plan.  These estimates come in two volumes more than 3 inches thick and take a long time to analyze.  Anyone wanting to know what a challenge it is to hold government accountable can drop by my office sometime and browse through these endless lists of numbers.  These huge books set out where the government is spending $180.7 billion dollars on government programs.  This includes $37.6 billion interest on the national debt of $535 billion dollars. However the government has always gone over budget by at least 2 or 3 billion dollars.

Many people don’t realize how much a billion dollars is.  Let me illustrate: If you spend one dollar per second it would take you 11 ½ days to spend a million dollars.  At that same rate it would take you 31 ½ years to spend a billion dollars.  That puts the government attitude of “What’s’ a billion dollars!” in perspective.

Our Liberal government has increased spending since 1997 by 46 percent.  Government expenditures account for about 40 percent of all spending in Canada.  Our incomes have not grown by 46% so this explosive increase in government control is alarming.  Also note that it doesn’t matter who the finance minister is-Paul Martin or John Manley.  What disturbs me most is that the budget commits us all to future spending.  By not seriously addressing our debt problem, our children and grandchildren are left to pay the bills we have run up.  That is just plain wrong. 

Remember also that only last year, the Liberals made a commitment that if extra tax revenues were collected they would reduce taxes and pay down the debt as much as possible.  Well they didn’t.  Instead they play politics with our money by trying to buy our votes at election time.  The election is likely only one year away.

Spending on agriculture continues to decrease in priority.  Other basic sectors of the economy that are also important did not receive any attention either.  Instead there was a spending increase for big cities.  Obviously, pitting one group against another is still part of the game plan for the Liberals.

There were some good things in the budget such as increasing funds for healthcare.  However, the level is still not back to the 1993 levels before the Liberals took over.  People might be forgiven if they don’t notice waiting lines becoming shorter.

Increasing RRSP contribution limits was also a good thing but should have been matched with tax reduction for hard-working families as well.  The best way to do that would be to raise the personal exemption to at least $10,000 and make it apply to both husband and wives.  Also, the working poor would benefit by having the childcare deduction apply to all families no matter what options they choose.

Serious problems also exist in our aboriginal affairs programs.  Despite the billions being spent, standards of living remain deplorable.  Bureaucracy is being created but not self-sufficiency for those it should be benefitting.

The Kyoto agreement is becoming an even bigger money pit than the firearms fiasco.  Already $1.7 billion dollars have been wasted with no results to show for it.  There is another $2 billion to be spent in the next few years.  Just think what could have been done to combat pollution and address environmental issues with that kind of spending. 

By the way, you won’t find any indication in the budget or estimates on how much will be allocated to the gun registry.  This is in contravention of the government’s rules and a slap in the face to the Auditor General who said Parliament should not be kept in the dark.

Eight hundred million dollars will be added to the military’s budget, but they needed at least $1 billion in addition to their current funding. Unfortunately, foreign aid will be given to many countries where the use of this money will not go to help those in need.  Foreign aid will be doubled by 2010. 

 Bilingualism funding will be increased by $114.5 million over the next two years on a five-year action plan.

Some junior hockey teams will be driven out of existence because the tax on them was not lifted.  We will continue to fight this until the government backs down and gives back the money they have already collected.

Basically, subsidies for the government’s favourite large corporations continue.  Small businesses and the middle class get virtually nothing despite the fact that they are the engines of the economy.  The tax on capital will be eliminated which should help boast investment.

Our dollar is the measure of the health of our economy.  It’s obvious that our nation has been in decline for more than 30 years.  We need real change in Ottawa.  This budget is evidence that taxpayers’ dollars are being used as a slush fund for big government with no clear direction or priorities. 

Let me conclude with two quotations from the budget speech that really indicate how far we have sunk in making democracy work in this great land:

• The first was an announcement of “a new rigorous, on-going review of government spending”;
• and “we are making accountability the cornerstone of this budget.”

I find it astounding that our government needs to convince us that they will try to be more accountable and will try to spend our money more wisely.  What have they been doing for the past 10 years?  Shouldn’t their main goal have always been to be accountable and manage our money wisely?  Why should we trust them now?