close to 70000 Federal Public Sector jobs on the block

[olpfan1]

Sounds good to me. I was wondering when Conservatives would start to act like conservatives.

I hope you find it ironic that pork barrel tony is the one in charge of saving 4-8 billion dollars

Edited March 12, 2012 by olpfan1

[dre]

The federal government is already on track to eliminate its deficit, as are at least half of the provinces. We'll probably see more enter this zone after budget season.

Do you care for a little wager around these projections?

[j44]

Do you care for a little wager around these projections?

I'll bet 5-10% of spending.

[punked]

The federal government is already on track to eliminate its deficit, as are at least half of the provinces. We'll probably see more enter this zone after budget season.

I want you to be right so bad Smallc.

[dre]

I want you to be right so bad Smallc.

THe thing is that its just a shot in the dark. We have no clue whats going to happen over the next few years in both the domestic and global economy. In recent history the Canadian government has only ever been able to run budget surpluses during economic booms (dot com boom, and realestate boom).

Given the structural economic problems we know Canada has (over valued realestate market, and very low personal savings rate), it seems extremely optimistic to me to think we will run very many balanced budgets over the next 10 years if any.

And you really should lump household and personal debt into the equation as well, since government policy creates that as well, and since high rates of personal debt will make it much harder for the government to raise revenue in the future.

[jacee]

I wonder what the HarperCons would say if any other employer talked of laying off 70,000 people.

They're obviously not about 'jobs jobs jobs' !

Just another stupid stunt by a lame brain outfit.

Then they'll be whining about the 'lazy sods' who don't have jobs.

As an employer, this government really sucks!

[Smallc]

Do you care for a little wager around these projections?

Sure. It's the consensus of pretty much every economist, so I'll go with it.

[YEGmann]

I wonder what the HarperCons would say if any other employer talked of laying off 70,000 people.

Who "talked of laying off 70,000 people"? Government?!

[MACKER]

Sounds good to me. I was wondering when Conservatives would start to act like conservatives.

The Public Sector the Harper Government way..

More jobs for Alberta, Albertans don't unionize do they. ONEparty is enough!

I find it funny however that a 10% cut (which 8 billion is only 2.5% of a 10% spending cut) still places them well over what ever previous liberal government - they are the biggest spenders in Canadian history. The biggest debt spenders also.

What they need to do is cut 40 billion dollars just to bring them back down to the spending level of the liberals, and it will take them 10 years to pay down what they have overspent over the last 5 years. They don't plan on paying back their debt spending until atleast 2015.. meaning their debt wouldn't even be paid down before 2025. Meaning 10 years of interest on their debt ballooning their costs even higher. Although I am very skeptical on any plan for them to actually improve Canada's fiscal position. Debt spending doesn't help, there is no example in history where keynesian economics worked.

Their plan is a bottomless pit of debt spending and inflation where only people who have money are insultated due to gain on interest bearing proceeds. Only people who make money make money.

The government only makes money from taxes... it gains interest bearing debt, do you underestand why their system can never work for government until it makes money. The only way to make money is to make money.

Edited March 13, 2012 by MACKER

[MiddleClassCentrist]

I wonder what the HarperCons would say if any other employer talked of laying off 70,000 people.

Our Corporate interest government would pat them on the back, give them a good bye subsidy and slander the workers for their incompetence (regardless of performance)

[PIK]

The cuts will not be any where close to what chretien did, but then that was OK, becuase it was chretien. One thing I am tiring of is the left blowing every little thing out of porportion, that will come back to haunt you.

[Topaz]

A report out today says that it will cost the government 2BILLION to let go some of the civil workers by paying them their all their benefits due to them and then, some can come back and work for the government.Others, when the money runs out and the economy is still the way its is, could end up on the welfare rolls. Ontario can only hope that those people move to Alberta and get on the welfare rolls there. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/03/12/pol-weston-public-service-budget-severance.html

[PIK]

A report out today says that it will cost the government 2BILLION to let go some of the civil workers by paying them their all their benefits due to them and then, some can come back and work for the government.Others, when the money runs out and the economy is still the way its is, could end up on the welfare rolls. Ontario can only hope that those people move to Alberta and get on the welfare rolls there. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/03/12/pol-weston-public-service-budget-severance.html

Thanks to the greedy unions. They might have to go out and actully work. LOL Well there is the west and the east in a couple of years.

[eyeball]

Thanks to the greedy unions. They might have to go out and actully work. LOL Well there is the west and the east in a couple of years.

Thanks to the authoritarians in power and of course the libertarians that elected them, as many people if not more will be hired by the Big Daddy State as police, prison guards and soldiers.

No doubt the public sector unions will be just as thrilled to represent them as anyone.

[fellowtraveller]

Ontario can only hope that those people move to Alberta and get on the welfare rolls there

Bad news - you won't qualify. Alberta reserves welfare for the needy, not the lazy.

If you are employable and do not have dependents you get zero. If you wish to suckle on the public teat head for the coast. Either one.

[MiddleClassCentrist]

Bad news - you won't qualify. Alberta reserves welfare for the needy, not the lazy.

If you are employable and do not have dependents you get zero. If you wish to suckle on the public teat head for the coast. Either one.

Alberta also spends almost $3000 more per person on Government and Government Programs than Ontario.

You may just be living in a dream world where you are made to believe that the Alberta government isn't as spendthrift. Infact, MORE spend thrift than Ontario.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1142062--ontario-staggers-under-burden-of-fiscal-federalism

Edited March 13, 2012 by MiddleClassCentrist

[fellowtraveller]

Alberta also spends almost $3000 more per person on Government and Government Programs than Ontario.

Yes, Alberta spends a lot of money on education and healhcare, always has.

We care about the sick and our children here.

Don't worry, we'll look after you too. But don't come here expecting welfare.

[Newfoundlander]

The government is now offering higher severance pay than usual for people who lose their jobs.

[MiddleClassCentrist]

Yes, Alberta spends a lot of money on education and healhcare, always has.

We care about the sick and our children here.

Don't worry, we'll look after you too. But don't come here expecting welfare.

Funny, I remember an article about an Albertan MP going around knocking door to door on subsidized housing... Apparently you don't think that exists in Alberta.

http://parklandinstitute.ca/downloads/reports/2009-10-21-BreakingTheMyth.pdf

Look at figure 5, page 9

Ontario barely spends more than Alberta for social services.

Alberta lives in under the illusion that pure conservatism works, while adopting socialist policies in the background.

[fellowtraveller]

Funny, I remember an article about an Albertan MP going around knocking door to door on subsidized housing... Apparently you don't think that exists in Alberta.

I'm not sure what your point is- that AB politicians go door to door kissing ass? Not strictly an Albertan pastime, is it? Or that subsidized housing exists? Where did you think our money goes, or some of it?

Ontario barely spends more than Alberta for social services.

I am again missing your point. Ontario can spend whatebver it likes, social services are provincial policies. Oh, and wlefare is just one example of social service. I'm saying don't come here for welfare payments, they are pretty strict on who gets it and why, have been since about 1995.

Alberta lives in under the illusion that pure conservatism works, while adopting socialist policies in the background.

Actually, you are one of those who have some illusions about Alberta. We spend more than other provinces per capita on health care, and have done so for a long time. It is not any secret, nothing is in the background and it is not an accident or an ideological choice. We do it because we can. Please remove your ideological blinkers and shed your bigotry and preconceptions towards your fellow Canadians.

[PIK]

Thanks to the authoritarians in power and of course the libertarians that elected them, as many people if not more will be hired by the Big Daddy State as police, prison guards and soldiers.

No doubt the public sector unions will be just as thrilled to represent them as anyone.

Actually the 4000 guards that were to be hired ,will not be hired. I see enough crime go unreported because around here the cops spend all thier time looking for some one that had a beer and is driving. The drug use is out of control, the dealers seem to get away with it for years. The crack that is flooding small towns is also getting out of control, but we all know MSM will not report anything that might show harper is right. I run a business and shop lifting is a problem and we have been told to deal with it ourselves. Thy don't have the time for it.

[Moonbox]

Look at figure 5, page 9

Ontario barely spends more than Alberta for social services.

Alberta lives in under the illusion that pure conservatism works, while adopting socialist policies in the background.

What are Alberta's taxes like compared to Ontario though? Hint: Lower

I'm perfectly fine with public spending, providing it doesn't make the tax burden too high. That's the problem that geniuses like Trudeau and McGuinty landed us in.

[msj]

What are Alberta's taxes like compared to Ontario though? Hint: Lower

On what basis are you making this assumption?

I'm looking at the 2010/2011 public accounts for both provinces and the population figures for both (although Ontario is 2010 and Alberta's is 2011) and I'm coming up with $10,643 in revenue per Albertan vs $8,302 per Ontarian.

Public accounts are here [PDF] and here.

Population figures are here and here.

Now, to be fair, I am using gross numbers which does include transfers from the federal government. We would have to come to some kind of agreement through some detailed analysis on how to treat some of that revenue.

Even at that, it should be clear when "non-renewable resource revenue" is 22% of your total revenue then one should be thanking all those Canadians and Americans who are really paying this tax. So, yes, Alberta can lower income taxes and not have a PST/HST unlike other provinces.

Oh, and one should hope that those non-renewable resources last a long time otherwise one day a certain province will wake up finding a huge structural deficit.