Quebec’s oversized share of Canada Day funding to end
OTTAWA -- Quebec will no longer receive the lion's share of funding from a federal program promoting Canada Day festivities as a result of an overhaul that would eliminate-millions of dollars in administrative costs, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore said Wednesday.
In an interview with Canwest News Service, Mr. Moore said that the Harper government has shut down regional committees that were using up about half of the budget of the $6.7-million Celebrate Canada program so that there is more money available for community celebrations. He said the government would also introduce a formula that allows each province and territory to get its fair share of funding based on population.
"We're frankly cleaning up a program that was badly structured and badly created by the Liberals back when they were in government," Mr. Moore said.
I say go for it! Quebec doesn't even like the rest of Canada, so why should we pour big bucks into a province that wants to separate? If Alberta sent 15 members of the Alberta Separatist party to Ottawa, do you think the rest of Canada would send us MORE money?
BlackJack brings up a great point in the comments:
BlackJackShelac
10:57 PM on January 20, 2010
Re: What happens if I touch this domino?
hahah true. Normally I would expect some over dramatic backlash against Harper, but in Quebec Canada day is actually "moving day" for many and they don't really celebrate Canada day. Quebec would be it's own nation by now except when you consider the smallish detail that out of the 14 billion dollars 6 provinces receive from transfer payments in 2009, Quebec rakes in 8.3 billion into its pockets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equalization_payments_in_Canada
Exactly, why stop at some Canada Day funds, the really big one is equalization. How Quebec would squeal if they got cut off of the trough called equalization. Bye Bye $7 a day daycare that no other province no matter how rich or poor can seem to afford.
Alberta will be labeled the bad guy by the lefties, if equalization is stopped. No one will remember that Liberal Ontario and Liberal Quebec slammed Conservative Alberta in Copenhagen.
Cut off the funds. Every province should stand on their merits. Quit sucking off the teat of the producers, and then kick them in the butt to make yourselves look better. Ontario went from a have province to a have not province under the reign of McGuinty, and that's okay with the lefties?
No more "special" status for any province, or any minority group. What ever happened to equal status for all?
11 comments:
You are not doing the Conservative cause any favours with this ridiculous Quebec bashing.
You are basing proposed federal provincial policy on what, the advice of someone who identifies himself as some cartoon character.
If you are against the principle of equalization, simply say so, that it's bad policy, each to their own, sink or swim on their own, no pooling of resources. You can't justify a policy or its withdrawal because of political advocacy on a separate issue by the Premier of Ontario or Quebec.
And as for special status argument with respect to Quebec, no equalization isn't "special status", , not as compared for example to proposals in the Meech Lake Accord, it applied to all provinces and had some rationale being contingent to the, at the time, protectionnist economic policy favouring Ontario-based industries.
In the attempt to "balance" the books each program review should be taken with the goal of making sure the federation is balanced and fair. At what point is it worthwhile to continue remaining providing QC with more funding that other have NOT provinces?
How did they buy up NB hydro assets? What is Charest attacking Canada on a world stage?
Is Caisse Pension Fund being used extend Provincial interestes at the expense of other provinces?
As a Ontario resident, Alberta has my support in demanding other provinces, cities clean up their own finances, green record as a result of COP15.
Energy is a provincial file and they can use the extra money as they see fit.
Less money to Ottawa is a good thing if the Feds get out of our provincial jurisdiction.
Each province is responsible for Health, Education and Social Services.
Toronto should not be exporting their garbage to the US or London, Ontario.
Dupmar,
Who is bashing? Did an Albertan Premier travel to Copenhagen and attack the provincial jurisdiction of Quebec?
Did a Mayor in Alberta travel to Copenhagen to embarass Canada and attack Ontario?
You call it pashing I call it pressing the reset button.
If you want to play the victim card and suggest Quebec or Ontario should send Billions to other governments compliments of Albertans "energy" resources, goodluck!
I am 100% behind Alberta demanding the other provinces pay for their own socialist experiments (bridge to nowhere). Albertans per capita are giving $ 3,000. Now it is time for Quebec and Ontario to make some priorities and ask their own citizens to pay for those windmills and daycare programs.
Stop abusing Alberta and respect our constitution!
( I live in Ontario btw)
Has anyone ever seen any Canada Day celebrations in Quebec, on the news.
Didn't think so.
"Toronto should not be exporting their garbage to the US or London, Ontario."
You're right...that's what Alberta is for!
Dupmar, don't try to talk sense here, facts will get you nowhere.
"The Bloc Québécois has described the fund as federalist "propaganda" to promote Canada in Quebec with advertising just like the sponsorship program did"
So no problem, right ????
The Bloc will be thrilled that there is less funding in the future for Canada Day, so no outcry from that quarter. The Liberals of course will protest.
Of course the main Canada Day parade in Montreal never seems to get much, if any of this money, especially under the Liberals. It was even going to stop at one point. Go figure.
Commonsense, I watched the I AM CANADIAN video at your site, great job.
thank you!
I am busy being a little be trying to connect the NDP to The Council of Canadians. (No-Prorogue supporters, and share an NDP platform from what I have found so far.
Reminds me of Kairos.
Are they a front for the NDP?
Quite correct that Bloc MPs are not demanding Canada Day funding for their constituencies, actually the majority of federal Quebec ridings, and that there is not an great deal of enthusiasm nor interest for Canada Day celebrations in Quebec, they are exhausted and partied out from the St Jean holiday and celebrations a week earlier.
But to take this and turn it into justification for eliminating existing federal fiscal arrangements, long established equalization payments is a bit of a stretch. It's one thing to poke barbs at Quebec politicians and another to constantly complain about Quebec's presence in the federation, that you'd like to trade Quebec for Haiti, etc.
Keep in mind the current fiscal arrangement is being fostered not through Quebec's inexplicable unilateral influence but with the consent and participation of the federal government, with strong Alberta representation within cabinet. Complaints about the current arrangement should be directed to the proper parties who have some say in the matter.
Dupmar - my question is: how can a province so rich in resources, with a skilled labour force, with infrastructure and certainly plenty of hydro power to use and sell be a have-not province? Can you say "cook the books"?
It is inconceivable that Quebec should be a have-not. I lived there twice in my life and it is a province that has everything - resources, people, schools, infrastructure (admittedly not in great shape), electricity, a port or two, etc.
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