The Only (other) Guy who can see thru the "Fiscal Imbalance" to see the Alberta (via Quebec) "Hidden Agenda"
Dear Windsor Star Editors,
Marc Lee's article on Monday June 12/06 "Fixing fiscal imbalance" should required reading for all Canadians and ALL journalists.
He hits it perfectly "Federal-provincial talks later this year ... should consider options that increase and consolidate federal responsibilities in certain areas, and address the real resource-royalty imbalance among provinces. The result would be a strengthened Canada, with common standards and services, not a patchwork that bears little resemblance to the Canada most of us want."
Canada need not decentralize anymore, she just needs to consolidate responsibilities - fiscal re-Confederation - using the theme that the government order that "spends" the money, should collect the revenue that is spent.
I'll go one step further than Mr Lee's suggestion to upload "pharmacare, social assistance and labour market training" and suggest that ALL healthcare funding should be provided from Federal taxation sources.
If lifting THAT load off the provinces isn't enough to eliminate the need for all the criss-cross subsidies, grants, special deals and one-of accords, then I recommend that the Federal government assume all the provincial debt (on a per capita formula a la 1867).
Oh Canada, see through the smokescreen of the Provincialists in the 2 Federal parties and the Premier's protecting their little kingdoms and read between the lines of the journalists who repeat that obfuscating blarney without thinking about the consequences of implementing the "decentralizing" plan.
Get Marc Lee on the National News!
Marc Lee's article on Monday June 12/06 "Fixing fiscal imbalance" should required reading for all Canadians and ALL journalists.
He hits it perfectly "Federal-provincial talks later this year ... should consider options that increase and consolidate federal responsibilities in certain areas, and address the real resource-royalty imbalance among provinces. The result would be a strengthened Canada, with common standards and services, not a patchwork that bears little resemblance to the Canada most of us want."
Canada need not decentralize anymore, she just needs to consolidate responsibilities - fiscal re-Confederation - using the theme that the government order that "spends" the money, should collect the revenue that is spent.
I'll go one step further than Mr Lee's suggestion to upload "pharmacare, social assistance and labour market training" and suggest that ALL healthcare funding should be provided from Federal taxation sources.
If lifting THAT load off the provinces isn't enough to eliminate the need for all the criss-cross subsidies, grants, special deals and one-of accords, then I recommend that the Federal government assume all the provincial debt (on a per capita formula a la 1867).
Oh Canada, see through the smokescreen of the Provincialists in the 2 Federal parties and the Premier's protecting their little kingdoms and read between the lines of the journalists who repeat that obfuscating blarney without thinking about the consequences of implementing the "decentralizing" plan.
Get Marc Lee on the National News!
posted by Walk a Kb or Two in my cassins | 8:00 am
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