OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is seeking opposition input into the next federal budget, even though he no longer needs opposition support to ensure its passage.The budget, expected later this month or next, will be Harper's first since capturing a long-sought Conservative majority in last May's election.
Nevertheless, Harper has met with interim NDP Leader Nycole Turmel to discuss the official Opposition's priorities for the economic blueprint.
Turmel says she urged Harper to focus on job creation and not to cut programs and services which hard-pressed families rely on in tough times.
While Turmel believes Harper "understood" her concerns, it's unlikely he intends to act on them.
The budget is expected to slash as much as $8 billion from federal spending as the government moves to erase the deficit built up during the 2008-09 global recession and to set out a long-term path for ensuring the Old Age Security program remains sustainable as Canada's population ages.
On the latter score, the government is contemplating eventually raising the age of eligibility for OAS to 67 from 65 — a move vehemently opposed by the NDP.
A spokesman for Harper called Friday evening's meeting with Turmel "very cordial" but gave no sign that the prime minister is prepared to change course.
Andrew MacDougall said Harper made it clear his government intends to "make the transformations necessary to sustain economic growth, job creation and prosperity, now and for the next generation."
MacDougall said Harper reiterated his intention to keep tax rates down, to make strategic investments in science and technology and to expand trade linkages.
Harper, who is about to leave on trip to China, also repeated his determination to "make it national priority" to enhance Canada's ability to export energy products beyond the United States, specifically to Asia.
Environmental concerns prompted the U.S. recently to delay a decision on approving TransCanada's (TSX:TRP) proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oilsands bitumen from Alberta to Gulf Coast refineries. Since then, the Harper government has vowed to speed up public hearings into the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, which would transport crude oil from Alberta's oilsands to the coast of British Columbia, for tanker shipment to places like China.
The NDP, by contrast, is opposed to the pipeline and wants to roll back corporate tax cuts.
Turmel said she told Harper that too many families are worried about their jobs, too many are waiting for Employment Insurance and, with budget cuts looming, they know "it will be even harder for them to make ends meet." She urged him to ensure the budget "does not harm families or cut the services they rely on in these tough times."
She said she also told Harper he needs to work with the provinces to improve front-line health care services, rather than unilaterally dictate future federal funding levels.
Despite the apparent absence of common ground, Turmel's chief of staff, Anne McGrath, said Harper "listened carefully" to the NDP's budget suggestions.
"I'm not sure what the significance of it is going to be but I think he was definitely listening, he was paying attention, he was taking down notes, he was engaging in the conversation," McGrath said as she and Turmel emerged from the meeting.
"We're hoping that he will take account of the perspectives that we brought."
A spokesman for interim Liberal leader Bob Rae said Harper has not requested a meeting to discuss the third party's priorities for the budget.
"No doubt because we make ourselves very clear in the House," said Daniel Lauzon.
Original Article
Source: Huff
Author: canadian press
No comments:
Post a Comment