Mar
7
MP Report
By Denise Savoie
As the showdown over the 2011 federal budget looms, I still believe there are opportunities for all parties to work together and make real progress for Canadians.
Everyone says they don't want to force an election. But in this spring's budget, the ball is entirely in the Conservative government's court. Will they finally show some flexibility and listen to the views of the majority of Canadians? Or will they push forth stubbornly with their plans to expand their record deficit with more corporate tax cuts and more prisons, but no new investment in health care, infrastructure, housing, seniors, children, education or the green economy?
It is this kind of smart investment that Victoria, Oak Bay and Saanich residents have stressed to me over the past several months, targeted, strategic investment that helps people, families, the environment and the economy.
I'm pleased to see the beginnings of a long-overdue national debate about corporate tax cuts. The finance minister's own department calculates that the smart investment cited above is a far superior generator of economic growth compared to the untargeted corporate tax cuts of successive Liberal and Conservative governments. The Library of Parliament reports that there "is very little evidence to support the existence of a strong causal link between employment and corporate tax changes." Yet, the Conservative government clings to their unproven economic dogma in hopes that repetition breeds acceptance.
I encourage everyone to reflect critically on this significant question and to decide for themselves come budget time in mid-March.
Connecting citizens to services
To connect people in the greater Victoria area with the services available to them, I have planned a Public Services Expo on February 27, featuring information displays and seminars from community organizations and government agencies serving the area, including: Service Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, Victoria Child Care Resources and Referral, City Green, Lifecycles Project Society, Coastal Invasive Plants Committee, Seniors Serving Seniors, Together Against Poverty Society, Victoria Restorative Justice Society and many more. Please visit for more information.