I can’t take credit for the following article. I should point out it came from a local politician’s mass mail out and I happened to read it over coffee today.
I am not advocating one government over another – but I am certainly going to amplify what I have said in the past – our current government put us in this mess and should be taking responsibility for it rather than patting themselves on the back for being the so called “Saviours of the Canadian Economy”.
Here is the article:
“Canada’s capacity to recover from the recession depends on our fiscal strenght. Sadly that strength has been depleted by Mr. Harper’s government.
When he took power in 2006, Stephen Harper inherited a thriving economy that was generating solid growth and more new jobs every year. Debt and taxes were falling faster than ever before. Annual surpluses were running at $13 billion per year. Our banking, housing and pension systems were secure.
Stretching forward five years, federal fiscal flexibility totaled $100 billion.
By 2008 – BEFORE the recession arrived – the Harper government had frittered those benefits away.
They needlessly hiked federal spending by three-time the rate of inflation. They recklessly ignored warning about housing and banking risks growing in the United States. They wiped-out all the contingency reserves and prudence factors that had been embedded in previous budgets as “fiscal shock absorbers” against nasty surprises. All of this – BEFORE the recession.
So when the downturn came, our country was already in deficit – quite unnecessarily. The recession made it worse, but the underlying problem was already there, after less than three years of Conservative rule.
it’s no comfort to say “we’re doing better than others”. That’s a mug’s game when those “others” are in decline. It doesn’t take much to look a little better against weak competition.
Claiming we’re the “least bad” doesn’t mean “we’re good”. It simply means this government has lowered Canadian standards. It means Mr. Harper is prepared to settle for much less than Canada once aspired to be.”
This article, as stated earlier came from a local politician. I won’t say who – as I don’t want to start any unnecessary feuding or political stand offs. I was simply intrigued by the article because it says out loud what many of us are afraid to say. That is, “this government has lowered Canadian Standards. It means Mr. Harper is prepared to settle for much less than Canada once aspired to be.”
I also like the part about how the government “ignored warnings about housing and banking risks growing in the United States.” Truth is truth – no matter who states it.
I have lost confidence in our current government. But as I said in my previous rants – I don’t think there is anything really that much better out there. I actually believe that our political parties act like nothing more than high school rivalries. They only care to beat each other at the election game – rather than actually doing what’s best for Canadian’s. We have lost our voice. How can we be heard??
I am open to suggestions!
