Looking at the Trudeau budget

The federal government released its 2016 budget on March 22, which it calls Growing the Middle Class. The March 26 issue of TML Weekly  features part one of a series “Looking at the Budget,” which points out that the “aim of the Liberal budget is found in the details.”

Harper’s self-serving budget increases funds for secret police

Finance Minister Joe Oliver tabled the Harper Government’s 10th federal budget in the House of Commons on April 21 where he presented the government’s view on the document. Dubbed the “Economic Action Plan 2015,” the budget has been named by the government “Strong Leadership: A Balanced-Budget, Low-Tax Plan for Jobs, Growth and Security.”

Announcing new funding for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), RCMP and Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), Oliver used the budget speech to repeat the government’s refrain. “The jihadist terrorists who proclaimed a so-called caliphate in the Middle East have declared war on Canada and Canadians by name. In response, we have taken up the fight both overseas and here at home,” he said.

Flaherty should be held responsible for economic damage, wrecking Canada, criminalizing Canadian workers and repeated war budgets

He was a political representative of the financial elite and a neo-liberal champion of its anti-union, anti-worker, anti-social and anti-national offensive. The media and political parties of the establishment are politicizing and manipulating the death of Jim Flaherty, giving the battle-cry “Glory to the Harper agenda – to its heroes glory!” | TONY SEED

Workers demonstrate outside of Flaherty’s campaign office in Whitby-Oshawa during 2008 election.

(Apr. 11, revised Apr. 13, 15) – THE MEDIA is going non-stop in its eulogizing of Jim Flaherty, who passed away suddenly on April 10. Until his retirement recently, Flaherty had been federal finance minister since the 2006 electoral coup that brought the Harper government to power and one its most powerful and prominent figures. On the basis of a motion by NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, the House of Commons immediately suspended its regular business on the afternoon of April 10 and devoted a session to tributes from all parties before adjourning. Opposition MPs reportedly hugged Conservative MPs. Media accounts highlighted plaudits from the major banks, which they called “the business community.” “I will miss working with Jim,” TD Bank president Ed Clark gushed. “I greatly admired his passion for improving the lives of Canadians.” The media created online books of condolences.

The dominant media and political discourse advances the view that regardless of one’s individual views on Flaherty’s policies and budgets, he had human qualities; he “put partisanship aside” in the common pursuit of “growing the Canadian economy,” and hence “politicians of all stripes are mourning him.” The illusion is spun that capitalism can be reformed and saved from its basic contradictions through fiscal and budgetary policies such as those implemented by Flaherty that generally reduce state investments in social programs and increase the amount given directly to finance capital.

Harper’s capital-centred federal budget

– Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) –

THE Harper Conservative government delivered the federal budget for the country on February 11. The most important thing for the people to do when assessing the budget is to carve away the dogma and hype. The dogma of “balance” coupled with the hype that the budget provides an opportunity for Harper to regain some momentum for re-election conceal a deeply disturbing trend towards war and nation-wrecking.

The association of the word balance with a federal budget is meant to hide the anti-social offensive and nation-wrecking. The mass media and most of the intelligentsia bring shame on themselves for participating in the dogma of balance. The trite and some say silly talk of balance is a diversion from exposing Harper’s messianic crusade to destroy Canada’s social fabric while annexing the country into the United States of North American Monopolies and U.S. war machine.

Important reading: Harper government to usurp more arbitrary powers on behalf of the monopolies

FINANCE Minister Jim Flaherty tabled the Omnibus Budget Bill C-4 on October 21, 2012. The bill is an act to implement certain provisions of the budget and other measures put before Parliament on March 21, 2013. It marks the second federal budget implementation bill this year, and the fourth omnibus budget bill introduced in the House in the past two years.

Looking at the federal government budget for 2013

By K.C. ADAMS, TML Weekly
• Part One: Ideo-Political Considerations of the Federal Budget

CANADIANS are understandably concerned with the prospects for the country. At this stage in history, people are blocked from setting the aim, agenda and direction of the economy. The ruling elite expect the people to accept the dictate of the monopolies and the government for those features of modern democratic life that should belong to the people by virtue of being members of the polity.

A budget is an accounting tool of the economy. The expenditures and revenue of a nation, institution, collective or individual exist within a dialectical relationship. The ideo-political considerations of a budget both expenditures and revenue are set by those who control the nation, institution, collective or individual. The ideo-political considerations are the bedrock on which the aim of the nation, institution, collective or individual is fashioned and the expenditures and subsequent necessary revenue determined within the budget. More…

• Part Two: Mystery of State — The Hoax of Balancing the Budget 
• Your Tax Dollar: 2011-2012 Fiscal Year – Department of Finance 
• Summary of 2012 Budget – Department of Finance