The detail on the federal government cut backs is going from bad to worse. The Ottawa Citizen today reported that there will essentially be no details of budget cuts in the March 29th budget.
The government maintains that transparency is desirable…unless it applies to a major policy thrust, and then it’s a billion dollar game of “hide and seek.” Instead of publishing the plans that may be somewhat preliminary, the government is not planning to publish any specifics.
For those who want more details, they’ll need to fish through the 386 page main estimates as well as the supplementary estimates and read the tea leaves. I encourage readers to examine these documents to see just how transparent a process this is going to be.
Unfortunately, with this continued lack of transparency, cuts will only be clear after they’ve happened and shuttered services will only become evident when Canadians try to rely on them but find the doors locked. The unemployment impacts cannot be planned for as they will not be known in advance.
We need much more transparency on this process.
About the author
David joined the CCPA as its Senior Ottawa Economist in 2011, although he has been a long time contributor as a research associate. Since 2008, he has coordinated the Alternative Federal Budget, which takes a fresh look at the federal budget from a progressive perspective. David has also written on a variety of topics, from child care to income inequality to federal fiscal policy. He is a regular media commentator on national policy issues, often speaking to the CBC, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Canadian Press. David received his BA from the University of Windsor and his MA from the University of Guelph, both in Philosophy. Follow David on Bluesky at @davidmaccdn.bsky.social
David joined the CCPA as its Senior Ottawa Economist in 2011, although he has been a long time contributor as a research associate. Since 2008, he has coordinated the Alternative Federal Budget, which takes a fresh look at the federal budget from a progressive perspective. David has also written on a variety of topics, from child care to income inequality to federal fiscal policy. He is a regular media commentator on national policy issues, often speaking to the CBC, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Canadian Press. David received his BA from the University of Windsor and his MA from the University of Guelph, both in Philosophy. Follow David on Bluesky at @davidmaccdn.bsky.social
