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Why provide input when the government doesn't live up to its promises?

Member of Parliament Blake Richards is holding a series of meetings across Wild Rose, seeking input from the public for this spring’s federal budget. He is also accepting written submissions. Here are some ideas.

Member of Parliament Blake Richards is holding a series of meetings across Wild Rose, seeking input from the public for this spring’s federal budget. He is also accepting written submissions.

Here are some ideas. They might seem familiar; they are taken straight from the Conservative Party of Canada’s 2006 election platform “Stand Up For Canada.”

• “Eliminate the capital gains tax for individuals on the sale of assets when the proceeds are reinvested within six months. Canadians who invest, or inherit cottages or family heirlooms, should be able to sell those assets and plow their profits back into the economy without taking a tax hit. It is time the government rewarded Canadians who reinvest their money and create jobs.” This promise was not just ignored, it was broken.

• “Pay down the national debt by a minimum of $3 billion each year.” This promise was thrown overboard as the government chose to rack up record deficits, rather than cut record spending.

• “Give western grain farmers the freedom to make their own marketing and transportation decisions. Western grain farmers should be able to participate voluntarily in the Canadian Wheat Board.” Minority government or not, the Conservatives have a responsibility to move forward on this file. Four years later, there has been no progress.

• “Work for a constitutional amendment to forbid prisoners in federal institutions from voting in elections.” Nothing has been done on this file. Nothing at all. I dare say this little nugget only comes up at election time, to motivate the Conservative’s base.

• “Repeal the wasteful long-gun registry legislation (Bill C-68).” The government has issued a series of amnesties while it tries to kill the registry. But, after the 2006 election, when the Liberal party was rolling over on every issue, the Conservatives chose not to press this issue and “keep it in the bag” as an issue for a future election campaign. No dice.

• “Work with provinces to develop a Patient Wait Times Guarantee to ensure that all Canadians receive essential medical treatment within clinically acceptable wait times, or can be treated in another jurisdiction, as required by the Supreme Court of Canada’s Chaoulli decision and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” That didn’t work out. Federal prisoners seeking sex changes get better service than Joe Q. Public.

• “Replace the Indian Act (and related legislation) with a modern legislative framework which provides for the devolution of full legal and democratic responsibility to aboriginal Canadians for their own affairs within the Constitution, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” Sounds like common sense, right? Too bad the Harper government seems to be avoiding the file completely.

• “Propose an amendment to the Constitution to include the right to own property, as well as guarantee that no person shall be deprived of their just right without the due process of law and full, just and timely compensation.” More common sense. More delays.

• “Propose further reforms to make the Senate an effective, independent, and democratically-elected body that equitably represents all regions.” The Harper government can’t even get Alberta to hold timely Senate elections, let alone take a crack at real Senate reform. This must become a real priority.

• “Introduce legislation… requiring fixed election dates every four years, except when a government loses the confidence of the House (in which case an election would be held immediately, and the subsequent election would follow four years later).” Democratic reform requires leadership by example. The Conservatives failed the country on this front.

With all of this in mind, here is my recommendation for the government as it draws up the next federal budget: Freeze all taxes. Cut spending. Balance the budget immediately. Live up to your promises. And, for gosh sake, start acting like conservatives. That is all.




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Airdrie Today Staff

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