Does Harper Know Canadians Better Than They Know Themselves?

Like his other election promises, Stephen Harper’s rhetoric about not acting like his Liberal predecessors has officially gone out the window.

Just like the former government, the Conservatives have announced a massive surplus, despite their previous projections. Not only that, they’ve gone one step further. After announcing a near record surplus of 13.2 billion dollars for last year ($5.2 billion more than projected) Harper plans to slash and burn funding to a wide range programs. All in an effort to siphon even more tax dollars into the federal coffers from locally valued initiatives.

According to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Treasury Board President John Baird, “We are trimming the fat and refocusing spending on the priorities of Canadians.” Sorry gents but you wouldn’t recognize the priorities of Canadian’s if they kicked you in the family jewels with a steel nosed boot. (The idea of which is quickly becoming a Canadian priority for this Canadian by the way.)

Don’t get me wrong, some of the cuts, like subsidies to Canada’s “virtual” aircraft maker Bombardier or trimming the fat in mismanaged federal programs like the gun registry are right on the money. Unfortunately sensible cuts like those are not the only thing on the chopping block and it’s some of the others that I’ve got a real issue with.

How will the great Canadian dictator and his band of bureaucratic stooges help refill Ottawa’s pig trough this time you ask? Like countless governments before it, they will, as previously stated, cut funding to activities that are not a priority of Canadians. These cuts include:

Adult literacy(Even thought Atlantic Canada has some of the worst literacy rates in the Country);

Youth employment and social development (Even though Atlantic Canada has the highest unemployment rates in the Country);

Medical Research(we’re all healthy enough in Canada you see.);

Status of Women Canada(Do I really need to identify the need for this service?);

The Canadian Volunteerism Initiative(Even thought volunteers are the only refuge for those who need services that have already been abandoned by government.);

The Crop Insurance Program for Salmon Growers (Apparently those who farm the land are important to Canada while those who farm the water are not.);

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Research (Commercial species are nearing extinction, rural communities are dying every day but finding out why is not a Canadian priority);

Funding for Special Needs Students (Enough said.);

Energy Audit Program (Used to promote home energy efficiency. I guess energy efficiency and the environment are just luxuries for Canadians);

In essence, the government of Canada is saying that employment, education, health research, women’s equality, volunteer organizations and assistance for the learning impaired are not a priority for Canadians. Oh, I almost forgot. Apparently the fishing industries that sustain so many Atlantic Canadians aren’t either.

Does this sound like the beliefs of anyone you know? If it does then you have two options. Either check that person into the nearest psychiatric hospital (if it hasn’t been shut down by funding cuts yet) or sign them up as a candidate for the next federal election. Either way they should fit right in.

I don’t know about you, but these programs are certainly a priority for this Canadian, regardless of how Ottawa feels about them.

Stephen Harper has disputed the Governor General’s sentiment that Quebeckers and other Canadians are feeling cut off and disenfranchised in Canada. Well Mr. Harper, my money is on Ms. Jean. Based on some of the cuts your government is making I for one don’t believe you have the first clue what the average person considers important. Either that or you just don’t care.

Listen, I’m just a simple working Joe. I’m not a highly educated, white, upper middle class male from a privileged background like most of our political leaders. In that light, I may not speak for the average Canadian the way they do. I do have to wonder though if it wouldn’t make more sense to end the wasteful practices in these programs but keep the funding in place. Wouldn’t that allow these programs to actually accomplish what they’re meant too do? I could be wrong. Who knows, maybe our MPs really are more in touch with what’s important to the average Canadian.