Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Stimulus?

I think we get the picture; we’re in the worst recession since the great depression of 1929. And although it still may get worse; we’re all hurting pretty bad right now so can we have some movement, some leadership please?

The “stimulus” package brought forth by Harper has yet to be delivered and distributed. In all honesty, as much as any stimulus is welcome, I’m not sure that it is one, enough and second, efficient.

Even before the money starts flowing, the impact of the Harper government's $40-billion, recession-fighting budget has been swamped by the eroding economic outlook, a leading Canadian economist says.

“It will get ferociously difficult to figure out whether the stimulus is having any impact on the economy – any perceptible impact you can find.”
Mr. Orr and other economists urged Ottawa to ignore pleas to boost stimulus spending further – a move that would deepen a budget deficit already slated to hit $33.7-billion next fiscal year. Read more… Globe and Mail article by Steven Chase


Flaherty urges senators to pass budget bill
CBC News

'I urge you to pass the [budget implementation] bill without delay,' said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, shown preparing for his appearance before the Senate finance committee in Ottawa on Tuesday. (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is calling on members of the Senate finance committee to pass the budget implementation bill quickly to bolster the weakened Canadian economy.

"I urge you to pass the bill without delay," Flaherty said Tuesday, urging committee members to pass the bill before leaving for March break holidays next week. "Do not dally,"

Flaherty sparred with Liberal members of the committee, who called on him to divide the bill between economic stimulus measures and non-stimulus moves.

In addition to the stimulus measures, the budget implementation bill also includes changes to pay equity for civil servants, and to acts concerning navigable waters and industry competition.
"You've thrown in the kitchen sink here," said Liberal Senator Art Eggleton.


As always, the Harper government seems incapable of forwarding a bill that does not include a pile of little “cluster bombs” that threaten its passage in the Senate.

One would think that he wants the Senate to block progress; that way he can show how dysfunctional the chamber is and thus gain popular support for his reforms.
Did I say reform? So he appointed 18 senators while the government was suspended…but that was so that he could even up the game by lessening the Liberal Senator majority.

And a game is how Harper plays this government. When Canada needs leadership, vision and hope the most, he is still plotting his next shot at being king. Because nothing matters more that power and if that power means he becomes Prime Minister to a country divided by regional differences, burdened with record levels of unemployment and poverty and devoid of a national arts and culture strategy; then so be it.

Because with absolute power, these things won’t figure in his plans to be the best damn President Canada never had.

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