Tories aim to cut $1.7B in spending

[Dave_ON]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/05/03/deficit-spending003.html

So it's finally come down the CPC is going the deep cut route rather than raising taxes. This was likely the best possible move they could make given the choice between two evils. However, to me this all but signals there will be no election in the very near future. !.7 B is a notable amount and it's hard to imagine that health care won't be affected in some way. Not a popular decision but I'll be interested to see exactly they are planning on cutting in the near future. Honestly I'm not even sure where they'd begin at this point other than the gun registry of course.

[ToadBrother]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/05/03/deficit-spending003.html

So it's finally come down the CPC is going the deep cut route rather than raising taxes. This was likely the best possible move they could make given the choice between two evils. However, to me this all but signals there will be no election in the very near future. !.7 B is a notable amount and it's hard to imagine that health care won't be affected in some way. Not a popular decision but I'll be interested to see exactly they are planning on cutting in the near future. Honestly I'm not even sure where they'd begin at this point other than the gun registry of course.

Cuts will suck, but the last thing the economy needs on it right now is the drag of higher taxes.

[Michael Hardner]

Also, $1.7B sounds like a lot, but with a budget of $280B in expenditures, it would be like an average wage earner of $40K/year cutting less than $5/week from his budget.

Really, not that much. If the Conservative government ever gets the ball rolling on rightsizing government, then I may actually vote right-of-centre for the first time ever.

[nicky10013]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/05/03/deficit-spending003.html

So it's finally come down the CPC is going the deep cut route rather than raising taxes. This was likely the best possible move they could make given the choice between two evils. However, to me this all but signals there will be no election in the very near future. !.7 B is a notable amount and it's hard to imagine that health care won't be affected in some way. Not a popular decision but I'll be interested to see exactly they are planning on cutting in the near future. Honestly I'm not even sure where they'd begin at this point other than the gun registry of course.

Depends on what your definition of near future is I suppose.

[Dave_ON]

Also, $1.7B sounds like a lot, but with a budget of $280B in expenditures, it would be like an average wage earner of $40K/year cutting less than $5/week from his budget.

Really, not that much. If the Conservative government ever gets the ball rolling on rightsizing government, then I may actually vote right-of-centre for the first time ever.

Thanks Michael, I didn't realize it worked out to less then .5% of a cut. Thanks for the link.

[punked]

We spend 20 billion a year on the Military seems like finding 2 billion there should not be hard. Done and done.

[Michael Hardner]

We spend 20 billion a year on the Military seems like finding 2 billion there should not be hard. Done and done.

Maybe. But it's generally been acknowledged that the military is underfunded for their commitments. As such, we could commit to do less I suppose.

I finally found some substantial information on expenses:

http://www.fin.gc.ca/fiscmon-revfin/2010-01-eng.asp

$7B each on Indian & Northern affairs and Crown Corporations. $2B on 'health' which doesn't figure into the $30B in transfer payments. And all of that is so far this year.

Thoughts ? Ideas ? Dumbfounded murmurs ?

[punked]

Maybe. But it's generally been acknowledged that the military is underfunded for their commitments. As such, we could commit to do less I suppose.

I finally found some substantial information on expenses:

http://www.fin.gc.ca/fiscmon-revfin/2010-01-eng.asp

$7B each on Indian & Northern affairs and Crown Corporations. $2B on 'health' which doesn't figure into the $30B in transfer payments. And all of that is so far this year.

Thoughts ? Ideas ? Dumbfounded murmurs ?

You really can't include Crown Corps with out including the funds they bring in.

Here is what we do bring home the troops, and cut their budget. Look I am not against the military but I truly think it needs to be a defense force, we are Canada we are not nation builders and should not be. We to change the structure of our armed forces, they should be protecting the north west passage, they should be helping out with disasters, they should not being what they are.

[Michael Hardner]

You really can't include Crown Corps with out including the funds they bring in.

Hmmm... I think the funds they bring in are $ -7B, according to this.

Here is what we do bring home the troops, and cut their budget. Look I am not against the military but I truly think it needs to be a defense force, we are Canada we are not nation builders and should not be. We to change the structure of our armed forces, they should be protecting the north west passage, they should be helping out with disasters, they should not being what they are.

I don't think it's a defense force either, currently. There are implications to reducing the size of the military, of course.

Have a look - maybe there are other things on there that could be reduced.

[Dave_ON]

Here is what we do bring home the troops, and cut their budget. We to change the structure of our armed forces, they should be protecting the north west passage, they should be helping out with disasters, they should not being what they are.

So basically you want them to do more with less? The millitary is already under funded and under equiped to do what you want them to do, how will cutting their budget further achieve the goals you've set for them? There are far less important items where funding could be cut. The LPC did enough funding cuts to last us for many years to come.

[Jack Weber]

Cuts will suck, but the last thing the economy needs on it right now is the drag of higher taxes.

Of course,it's the federal Tories that passed legislation to allow BC and Onatrio to implement the HST...

[punked]

So basically you want them to do more with less? The millitary is already under funded and under equiped to do what you want them to do, how will cutting their budget further achieve the goals you've set for them? There are far less important items where funding could be cut. The LPC did enough funding cuts to last us for many years to come.

NO I want them to do more with more, I want them to do it at home instead over seas.

[M.Dancer]

You really can't include Crown Corps with out including the funds they bring in.

Here is what we do bring home the troops, and cut their budget. Look I am not against the military but I truly think it needs to be a defense force, we are Canada we are not nation builders and should not be. We to change the structure of our armed forces, they should be protecting the north west passage, they should be helping out with disasters, they should not being what they are.

I think we need less people who don't know squat telling us (with the blessed caveat, "Look I am not against the military but ..."

Yeah sure, I have some NDP friends too...

[punked]

I think we need less people who don't know squat telling us (with the blessed caveat, "Look I am not against the military but ..."

Yeah sure, I have some NDP friends too...

I am not but when it comes to gun's and butter, I chose healthcare.

[M.Dancer]

I am not but when it comes to gun's and butter, I chose healthcare.

whoop dee do...

[Smallc]

$2B on 'health' which doesn't figure into the $30B in transfer payments. And all of that is so far this year.

That's easy to explain. It's funding for the regulatory bodies in Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Smallc

[Argus]

Also, $1.7B sounds like a lot, but with a budget of $280B in expenditures, it would be like an average wage earner of $40K/year cutting less than $5/week from his budget.

Really, not that much. If the Conservative government ever gets the ball rolling on rightsizing government, then I may actually vote right-of-centre for the first time ever.

You must bear in mind that the vast majority of government money is tied up in things which cannot be cut. For example, about 23% of government spending is in the form of cheques it sends out to individuals for pogey, pensions, CCTB, GST, etc. I'm not sure what debt payment is at right now, but somewhere close to 17%. Another 25% goes to the provinces.

[fellowtraveller]

Harper has allowed the civil service to expand and has spent like a drunken sailor. Just tell every department to pick where there .5% is coming from, or the PMO will do it for them. Scaring up $1.7 billion in savings should take about 15 minutes.

You must bear in mind that the vast majority of government money is tied up in things which cannot be cut.

Large spenders like DND and Indian Affairs and Revenue Canada have so far been pretty much beyond any real operational review. There is little doubt that plkenty of easy coin could be shaken from every one of those tree.

Health Canada is another example of a plump budget spent for very little purpose.

[Argus]

Harper has allowed the civil service to expand and has spent like a drunken sailor. Just tell every department to pick where there .5% is coming from, or the PMO will do it for them. Scaring up $1.7 billion in savings should take about 15 minutes.

Large spenders like DND and Indian Affairs and Revenue Canada have so far been pretty much beyond any real operational review. There is little doubt that plkenty of easy coin could be shaken from every one of those tree.

Health Canada is another example of a plump budget spent for very little purpose.

Thank you Mike Harris, for that refreshingly simple approach to cost cutting.

[Handsome Rob]

You really can't include Crown Corps with out including the funds they bring in.

Here is what we do bring home the troops, and cut their budget. Look I am not against the military but I truly think it needs to be a defense force, we are Canada we are not nation builders and should not be. We to change the structure of our armed forces, they should be protecting the north west passage, they should be helping out with disasters, they should not being what they are.

Who comes when the red river floods? Who does SAR off our rugged coasts and rescues people? Who does are border patrols? Who's going to be there when the next natural disaster hits?

The Military does not automatically equate to guys running around with guns shooting babies in the desert, as much as many would like to think so.

Trudeau & Chretien already Hung & Drew the armed force budget, but that's not enough eh? Need to go for the quartering? I for one would be interested to see an estimate of what their budget would look like if they had been properly funded for the last 20 years, because it would have be a fraction of what it is today.

Bring the troops home though, and keep them the hell out of the Congo.

[Michael Hardner]

Thank you Mike Harris, for that refreshingly simple approach to cost cutting.

Seriously, though, .5% is nothing. As much as Harris messed up Ontario with gross mismanagement, it shouldn't be a big problem to get costs down by that much.

[Dave_ON]

As much as Harris messed up Ontario with gross mismanagement, it shouldn't be a big problem to get costs down by that much.

Are you implying sir that Mr. Harris's Common Sense Revolution was neither common nor sensible? If so I'm both shocked and appalled. Interesting to note that many of the old Harris crew are currently entrenched on the federal level and it would seem our illustrious former provincial finance minister hasn't changed his ways in the least. I love overpaying for the 407, thank you Mr. Flaherty. What to sell next... I’m certain the ceremonial mace of parliament would fetch a decent price.

[Michael Hardner]

Are you implying sir that Mr. Harris's Common Sense Revolution was neither common nor sensible? If so I'm both shocked and appalled. Interesting to note that many of the old Harris crew are currently entrenched on the federal level and it would seem our illustrious former provincial finance minister hasn't changed his ways in the least. I love overpaying for the 407, thank you Mr. Flaherty. What to sell next... I’m certain the ceremonial mace of parliament would fetch a decent price.

It was uncommon nonsense, though as I pointed out it was necessary because of government tendency to overspend.

We elect smart-talking lawyers to head up a multi-billion dollar organization and then are somehow surprised when it doesn't work out.

[Muddy]

The last thing we want to do is cut the military budget. After we pull out of Afganistan the equipment we are using will be worn out. We need to once again rebuild our military so that when or if we are called upon by our allies or (shudder ) do UN duty we are prepared.

In the early sixties we had an armed forces of around 120 thousand souls. Our population was around 21 million. We are now over 30 million,yet last I heard we were around 60 thousand souls. Whats wrong with that picture? Until Afganistan and thanks to PM Martin and PM Harper our military is once again relevant and respected to our allies in NATO.We must never again allow our military to be cut to irrelevance.

[Army Guy]

Here is what we do bring home the troops, and cut their budget. Look I am not against the military but I truly think it needs to be a defense force, we are Canada we are not nation builders and should not be. We to change the structure of our armed forces, they should be protecting the north west passage, they should be helping out with disasters, they should not being what they are.

Perhaps Punked is onto something. Change the structure, i'm liking it...maybe to those little uniforms that the Beavers, Cubs, and scouts wear...you know the ones you earn badges for...better than medals...you 've got to shine them, wear them on parades, badges much better....Shit we could lower the age so everyone could join not only could they help out in disasters , and the north west passage but they could carry water to our drug plants, help stoners cross the road, fetch stoners muniches in the afternoon.... ...even carry our heavy protesting signs for " POT SHOULD NOT BE AGAIN"ST THE LAW"....and for the rest of us well we could go home and join the unemployment lines , the government would save huge amounts of cash for other stupid ideas like the "Right to vacation", or the Right to smoke pot....shit we could spend a ton of cash and not even dent 20 Bil ....where does a guy sign up....