Each Economic Action Plan commercial during HNIC costs $95,000

[Hudson Jones]

This at a time when we have Senators literally starving during their Florida vacations, unable to expense meals.

Edited May 11, 2013 by Hudson Jones

[Hudson Jones]

It takes leadership to steal from the taxpayers and then return it when you get caught.

The Harper government is praising Conservative Sen. Mike Duffy for showing "leadership" in the Senate expenses scandal.

Link

[kimmy]

TV commercials promoting the economic action plan grate on me.

Maybe part of the economic action plan includes direct stimulus for broadcasters, advertising agencies, actors, and production studios?

-k

[Bryan]

They've run their course, especially since the lefty-media has turned them into a meme, but they served a useful purpose.

The ads are about promoting confidence in our economy. They (were) a good investment.

[scribblet]

We need more information ads giving us more information, meat and potatoes, not the continual anti Harper narrative.

good news on the seniors' health care front

e.g.

• doubling the pension income credit from $1000 to $2000, helping 2.7 million seniors and taking 85,000 pensioners off the tax rolls

• increasing the age credit by $1000, from $4,066 to $5,066, saving seniors hundreds of dollars per year in additional tax relief

• promising, during campaign 08, to further increase the age credit by an additional $1000

• passing legislation to improve the process of applying for benefits; now seniors need to only apply once – not year after year – to receive the GIS

• increasing the Refundable Medical Expense Supplement tax credit by more than 30%

• increasing the age from 69 to 71 for converting RRSPs to RIFs

• expanding the Employment Insurance Compassionate Caregivers Benefit

• expanding the New Horizons for Seniors Program by $10 million in Budget 2007, from $25 to $35 million

Edited May 11, 2013 by scribblet

[silver72]

One of the ads shows robots doing the work at a manufacturing plant , which means no humans are benefitting from the tax dollars being spent.. The Tories must have caught that, cause I don't see it on any more. Personally, I'm sick of them, they run them too many times and every time I see one I think of were that money could be going, like the 400,000 unemployed young people!

[Icebound]

We need more information ads giving us more information, meat and potatoes, not the continual anti Harper narrative.

good news on the seniors' health care front

Yes, except that what you cite is "good" news only for seniors..

For the most part, Seniors have it good in Canada (and I AM one)... we have deferred our taxes via RRSPs, reduced them via pension splits, get a good portion of our medications paid for, etc. (As soon as I can convince them that Scotch is medication, too, then we will be all set)

But what we really need in the country is programs for the working poor, youth, children, etc. (Oh yeah... are there any?)

Seniors have largely come out of poverty in Canada.... (6.7 percent and lowering) Children have not ( 15 percent and rising ) ....(Conference Board of Canada figures)

I appreciate Bryan's take on "promoting confidence" in the economy I suppose something so badly broken DOES need special promotion... sort of like trying to sell a used car that was soaked in the Hurricane Sandy floods.

.

[Argus]

They've run their course, especially since the lefty-media has turned them into a meme, but they served a useful purpose.

The ads are about promoting confidence in our economy. They (were) a good investment.

Maybe for the first year or three. I'm fed up with them now.

[Bryan]

There has been a lot of good news from the feds for everyone, economically speaking -- especially for younger families with children. There have been loads of tax reductions (tax-free ceiling raised, loads of tax credits, TFSEs, many outright reductions as well). My tax bill is over $3000 less than it was under the previous govt. It was even more than that up until recently, but my kids are too old for some of the credits now.

At the very least, the ads should change. At first glance they appear to be reruns of the same ads from 3 yrs ago (some people think they are). Calling it all "Canada's Economic Action Plan" makes it sound like it's one continuous program. I see no problem making fresh announcements with each new budget e.g.: "The 2013 Federal Budget: what's in it for you?" kind of thing.

[Icebound]

....

My tax bill is over $3000 less than it was under the previous govt.

.....

Yes, but that is because you have a sufficient income to be paying a large tax bill anyway.

But "tax reductions" mean nothing to working poor who have minimal income.

Had you continued the pay that $3,000., maybe it could have gone to some program that helps schools, daycare, anti-gang youth programs, whatever... programs that these people could actually use.

...

...

[Moonlight Graham]

They've run their course, especially since the lefty-media has turned them into a meme, but they served a useful purpose.

The ads are about promoting confidence in our economy. They (were) a good investment.

The ads are about advertising how the Harper gov is trying to help our economy.

Just went to the Action Plan official website. The first headline splashed across the main page reads: "Harper Government Creates 36,000 New Jobs for Canadian Youth"

These ads should be paid for by the CPC party, not the taxpayer.

Edited May 13, 2013 by Moonlight Graham

[GostHacked]

They've run their course, especially since the lefty-media has turned them into a meme, but they served a useful purpose.

The ads are about promoting confidence in our economy. They (were) a good investment.

I don't see it as a good investment, there are many reasons that people don't have confidence in the economy.

[Icebound]

...The first headline splashed across the main page reads: "Harper Government Creates 36,000 New Jobs for Canadian Youth"

...

What's this? Government spending $300 million of our tax dollars on a program to actually HELP people? Shouldn't they cut taxes by $300 million and let them find their own jobs?

[Boges]

Sort of shifting money from one pocket to another though eh?

[GostHacked]

Sort of shifting money from one pocket to another though eh?

Apparently over 100 million was spend on 'branding' the economic plan.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/flaherty-defends-spending-on-economic-action-plan-ads-1.1277943

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has defended the Conservative’s continued spending on the ‘economic action plan’ advertisements, saying that Canadians are entitled to know what their government is doing.

Too funny, like the government really tells us what we need to know about our government. Waste.

[jacee]

Canada's summer jobs program has existed forever.

Current budget is over $300m.

Harper Government Creates 36,000 New Jobs for Canadian Youth

Ontario Students across Canada will gain valuable work experience this summer, as a result of 36 000 jobs created through the Harper Governments Canada Summer Jobs initiative.

Harper is inflating his contribution (surprise surprise):

There are NOT "36 000" new jobs "created" this year.

He has added 5,000 new positions @ $70m in 2013,

after adding $50m in 2012.

I'd say their headline is a blatant lie.

But such 'padding' of their accomplishments is pretty common among ConLib governments.

Now if Harper would only tell us where he's hidden the missing $3.1b!!!

For comparison ... $3.1b would

- create 220,000 new student jobs

- provide free tuition for over 300,000 postsecondary students

- provide nutritious food for a year for the increasing number of children living in poverty in Canada

Now that would be worth crowing about!

Edited May 13, 2013 by jacee

[PIK]

It takes leadership to steal from the taxpayers and then return it when you get caught.

The Harper government is praising Conservative Sen. Mike Duffy for showing "leadership" in the Senate expenses scandal.

LinK

He piad it back, he was wrong and he fixed it, but yet people still pile on him, but yet harv is keeping his.

[Hudson Jones]

He piad it back, he was wrong and he fixed it, but yet people still pile on him, but yet harv is keeping his.

He paid it back because there was no other choice, since he was caught.

Who is "Harv", who is keeping his?

[GostHacked]

He piad it back, he was wrong and he fixed it, but yet people still pile on him, but yet harv is keeping his.

Because they should not have done that in the first place. Why are politicians rewarded like this when they knew they were clearly breaking the rules, and I would say some laws.

[Argus]

He paid it back because there was no other choice, since he was caught.

Who is "Harv", who is keeping his?

Likely referring to Mac Harb, liberal senator, ordered by the Senate to pay back $100k in housing allowance.

[scribblet]

Likely referring to Mac Harb, liberal senator, ordered by the Senate to pay back $100k in housing allowance.

'Harb' has left the Liberal caucus and is sitting as an independent because he's hiring a lawyer to fight it. Considering the RCMP et al are all saying the rules are unclear, I don't blame him.

[AlienB]

This at a time when we have Senators literally starving during their Florida vacations, unable to expense meals.

Action plan, what are the ads running longer than the program, some new take on Canadian Heritage Minutes.

https://www.historica-dominion.ca/content/videos

Couple questions 1. Who runs the ad campaign for the government

2. why is the government advertising spending money? How is this a PSA... I am concerned if this is the most important message the government can put out to the public. You know anti crime bills, ruining the environment bills, make life harder on criminals and mental people, cracking down on the umemployed I'm sure they are doing other things too, but why focus on a program that has already ended and stopped revenue... this makes no sense.

Edited May 13, 2013 by AlienB

[roy baty]

Yeah, yeah.. If it was the Libs in power doing the same thing you Libs would be silent. Spare us the Conservative waste speech with these ADs. If the Libs/NDP get in power they will perfect federal deficit to a science making this expense look like chump change..

[MadX]

What a waste of money I can't wait until 2015 when Harper leaves office.

[MadX]

Yeah, yeah.. If it was the Libs in power doing the same thing you Libs would be silent. Spare us the Conservative waste speech with these ADs. If the Libs/NDP get in power they will perfect federal deficit to a science making this expense look like chump change..

Actually we had a surplus under the last Liberal government. Looks like the Tories have already beat the Liberals and NDP at perfecting deficit to a science.