The Conservative government is bracing for criticism of budget cuts that again hit hard at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, according to a leaked internal email.
The "talking points" message sent Friday to the 21 B.C. MPs in the federal Conservative caucus gave West Coast MPs some advice if they are talking to "constituents who may be concerned" about the $33-million-ayear Fisheries Department cuts starting in 2015-16.
"The budget did contain a number of significant investments supporting fisheries," noted political aide Blair Kesteven in a covering letter attached to a message to MPs from his boss, B.C. Tory MP Randy Kamp.
Kesteven, citing more than $10 million in new funding over two years to help community groups across Canada do habitat preservation work, urged MPs to pass on any "positive feedback" about that program to Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield's political aides.
Kamp's memo said the planned cuts to Fisheries and Oceans won't affect "front-line" services.
"We will save money on things like travel, management consulting services, temporary help, printed materials, office supplies, hospitality and equipment purchases," Kamp, Ashfield's parliamentary secretary, advised MPs to tell constituents and the media. "For example, travel expenses can be reduced by using new technology such as teleconferencing and video conferencing."
The New Democratic Party's caucus chairman and deputy fisheries critic quickly sent off his own "talking points" memo to his party's 12-person B.C. caucus.
New Westminster-Coquitlam MP Fin Donnelly said the argument that snipping red tape will handle $33 million in reductions isn't credible given the government's recent track record. "In response to the backlash to the cuts to the DFO budget, the Conservatives are trying hard to sell it as a good-news budget for our communities," he told his MPs. "In spite of assertions in the Conservative talking points, the extent of the cuts will not be limited to 'simplifying' or 'streamlining.'" He said the $10 million for community habitat work doesn't make up for the more than $17 million a year in habitat program cuts ordered in last year's budget. Roughly a third of habitat management staff have been eliminated in Canada as a result of those cuts.
The department's cuts last year "went way beyond administrative" and included shutting the Canadian Coast Guard station in Kitsilano and regional offices across B.C., leaving the smallest DFO staff in B.C. since 1983.
"These are important, front-line services, and they are being affected," Donnelly said. "Given the number and scale of resource development projects, this is the worst time to be cutting enforcement, monitoring, and emergency response."
In question period, Donnelly noted that the Harper government is contributing money for habitat only a year after slashing that branch's budget and watering down habitat protection legislation.
"If only we had a law that protected fish habitat," he said.
Kamp reiterated several of the arguments in his "talking points" document that suggested the fisheries department still has plenty of fat to trim.
"This will not put our front-line staff or our services to Canadians in any worse condition," Kamp told the House of Commons in responding to Donnelly's attack.
Original Article
Source: canada.com
Author: Peter O'Neil
The "talking points" message sent Friday to the 21 B.C. MPs in the federal Conservative caucus gave West Coast MPs some advice if they are talking to "constituents who may be concerned" about the $33-million-ayear Fisheries Department cuts starting in 2015-16.
"The budget did contain a number of significant investments supporting fisheries," noted political aide Blair Kesteven in a covering letter attached to a message to MPs from his boss, B.C. Tory MP Randy Kamp.
Kesteven, citing more than $10 million in new funding over two years to help community groups across Canada do habitat preservation work, urged MPs to pass on any "positive feedback" about that program to Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield's political aides.
Kamp's memo said the planned cuts to Fisheries and Oceans won't affect "front-line" services.
"We will save money on things like travel, management consulting services, temporary help, printed materials, office supplies, hospitality and equipment purchases," Kamp, Ashfield's parliamentary secretary, advised MPs to tell constituents and the media. "For example, travel expenses can be reduced by using new technology such as teleconferencing and video conferencing."
The New Democratic Party's caucus chairman and deputy fisheries critic quickly sent off his own "talking points" memo to his party's 12-person B.C. caucus.
New Westminster-Coquitlam MP Fin Donnelly said the argument that snipping red tape will handle $33 million in reductions isn't credible given the government's recent track record. "In response to the backlash to the cuts to the DFO budget, the Conservatives are trying hard to sell it as a good-news budget for our communities," he told his MPs. "In spite of assertions in the Conservative talking points, the extent of the cuts will not be limited to 'simplifying' or 'streamlining.'" He said the $10 million for community habitat work doesn't make up for the more than $17 million a year in habitat program cuts ordered in last year's budget. Roughly a third of habitat management staff have been eliminated in Canada as a result of those cuts.
The department's cuts last year "went way beyond administrative" and included shutting the Canadian Coast Guard station in Kitsilano and regional offices across B.C., leaving the smallest DFO staff in B.C. since 1983.
"These are important, front-line services, and they are being affected," Donnelly said. "Given the number and scale of resource development projects, this is the worst time to be cutting enforcement, monitoring, and emergency response."
In question period, Donnelly noted that the Harper government is contributing money for habitat only a year after slashing that branch's budget and watering down habitat protection legislation.
"If only we had a law that protected fish habitat," he said.
Kamp reiterated several of the arguments in his "talking points" document that suggested the fisheries department still has plenty of fat to trim.
"This will not put our front-line staff or our services to Canadians in any worse condition," Kamp told the House of Commons in responding to Donnelly's attack.
Original Article
Source: canada.com
Author: Peter O'Neil
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