Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Sunday, December 04, 2011

Flaherty launches pre-budget talks; opposition cries ‘faux consultation’

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is bending an ear to business, labour and average Canadians as he crafts a federal spending plan designed to create jobs, buoy the economy and make strides in slaying the deficit.

On Friday, Flaherty held the first in a series of cross-country consultations, a pre-budget roundtable discussion in Charlottetown. He also launched an online consultation process where Canadians can submit ideas on how the federal government should spend their tax dollars and manage the volatile economy.

“Budget 2012 will maintain our focus on jobs and economic growth while reducing the deficit and returning to balance in the medium term,” Flaherty said in a statement. “Today, and in coming weeks, I want to hear from Canadians on how we can advance the next phase of our Economic Action Plan to continue to deliver results on these priorities.”

Flaherty will hold four more roundtables with a wide variety of businesspeople, academics, think-tank and industry representatives, non-government representatives and labour groups. They’re part of a broader consultation process that includes meeting with provincial and territorial finance ministers in December. He also plans meetings with opposition finance critics and welcomes input from all MPs.

But opposition critics say Flaherty’s consultations are a charade because he rarely incorporates what Canadians want into the budget.

Calling the Conservative government “out of touch,” NDP MP and finance critic Peter Julian said if Flaherty were really listening, he would present a fiscal plan that involves heavier federal investment to create jobs and kickstart the economy, instead of deep cuts that will impact public programs, services and jobs.

Julian said this budget — which will begin the process of finding billions in savings — could have a “profound impact” for many years to come. He worries ideology will triumph over common sense.

“It could be a real watershed, and because the Conservatives tend to drink their own bathwater and they don’t tend to do their homework and look at the overall economic picture, it could be increasing the economic suffering that so many Canadians are experiencing,” he told iPolitics. “My fear is that the government is going to drag us in to the economic schmozzle they were doing in 2008 before they were stopped by Parliament. I certainly hope this time they will be much wiser and much more prudent in how they approach economic policy.”

Liberal MP and finance critic Scott Brison called Flaherty’s roundtable talks “faux consultation.”

“This is a photo-op tour, it’s not a genuine engagement,” he said. “Flaherty already knows what he wants to put in the budget and what he intends to put in the budget. To begin this personal consultation is laughable – this is all for show, not for substance.”

Brison said the finance committee has already heard from hundreds of groups and organizations from coast to coast, and that Flaherty should rely heavily on the recommendations it makes in a report now being drafted.

Brison said he will be keeping a close eye on the budget for “more meat on the bones” in funds for the Conservative crime agenda, but he isn’t holding out much hope that the government will provide transparent accounting.

Origin
Source: iPolitico 

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