That was the message P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz delivered to about 100 delegates and guests attending the Canadian Union of Public Employees’ (CUPE) annual convention Thursday morning at the Rodd Royalty Inn in Charlottetown.
The public sector is experiencing federal and provincial job cuts while facing uncertainty over pension funds and the harmonized sales tax (HST) coming in April 2013.
Ghiz told the crowd the difference between him and Harper is the P.E.I. premier is hoping to be in a position in the coming years to reinstate those lost provincial jobs.
“I think that Stephen Harper’s vision is to reduce down the public service and reduce down the services that Canadians receive and believes a little more in the survival of the fittest, whereas I don’t,” Ghiz said.
“So, he’s actually happy with what he’s doing whereas I am forced to do what I have to do.”
The premier went further, linking the downturn in the economy to Harper’s decisions to cut GST and capping health transfers and equalization payments.
“As Canada, we still have to make sure that each and every Canadian gets to share in the wealth of our country. Today, in my opinion, Stephen Harper is hindering that view of Canada,” Ghiz said, prompting applause.
“Equalization has absolutely nothing to do with your work ethic or your brain power today,” Ghiz said, noting he’d made the same argument last week to members of the Empire Club, made up of downtown Toronto businesspeople.
“We actually have to work harder and smarter than some of those other provinces in our country.”
Paul Moist, CUPE national president, echoed Ghiz’s statements about equalization payments and health transfers.
“Equalization was a formula that grew according to need because it’s constitutional so that wherever you live in Canada, you have a basic level of services, like access to health care,” Moist said.
While he noted the local membership may have some issues they’d like to discuss with Ghiz, “I pledge to you, premier, on the issue of equalization, on the health-care transfer issue, your voice is incredibly important to these national debates and you will have 100 per cent support from the Canadian Union of Public Employees.”
Ghiz also spoke briefly about the HST, calling it good public policy and bad politics.
“I can guarantee you that our finance minister will be sitting down with CUPE,” Ghiz said, “and they can bring issues to Wes (Sheridan) and we will look for areas where there could be room for compromise before we bring it in.”
The premier also promised Sheridan would be open to consultation on pension funds in a meeting with CUPE members May 24.
Original Article
Source: the guardian
Author: Jocelyne Lloyd
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