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.]

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Jim Flaherty, Conservatives, Reveal Federal Budget With Few Surprises

THE CANADIAN PRESS -- OTTAWA - Cash for Quebec and a lump of coal for their political rivals are the only new elements Conservatives have dished up in a reprised federal budget that mirrors the one delivered barely two months ago.

Armed with a majority mandate, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is forging ahead with a 2011 budget larded with low cost boutique tax breaks, modest pension help for the poorest seniors, and a vow to slay the deficit within four years.

New to the spending blueprint is $2.2 billion for Quebec as an inducement to finalize full harmonization of the provincial sales tax and with the federal GST. The budget also includes a commitment to phase out the $2-per-vote public subsidy received by all federal political parties -- a measure that will leave parties almost fully reliant on private donations.

"A month ago the people spoke," Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told the House of Commons in a brief budget speech.

"Through their democratic power they clearly signaled the need for a principled, stable government at this challenging but promising moment in our nation's history."

Flaherty's budget speech referred again and again to the voter endorsement -- and snidely noted that MPs who "took the time to read the March budget" won't find anything surprising in the new document.

Among the fiscal changes since the March 22 budget, Canada's deficit for last year has been revised downward to $36.3 billion from $40.5 billion. But this year's red ink has been revised upward to $32.3 billion from $29.6 billion.

Full Article
Source: Huffington 

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