CWP responds to the federal budget released yesterday with a new blog on the Huffington Post Canada website. The increase in the age of eligibility for Old Age Security (from 65 to 67), cuts in funding to federal agencies, and thousands of jobs lost demonstrate that this government is not focused on the priorities of Canadians. Here is a brief snapshot of the post:
“The new austerity budget focuses on reduced spending by $5.2 billion, cutting jobs, and forcing low-income seniors to wait longer for support. These spending cuts were touted as “moderate” by Finance Minister Flaherty in the weeks prior to the budget release, but in the end thousands of jobs were lost (some estimates are up to 70,000 including previous public service ‘downsizing’), and no new money was set aside for such critical services as housing support. Housing is a known determinant of good health, but over three million Canadians are insecurely housed which can ultimately increase the need for expensive health services. Addressing this issue would have been the smart choice.
Small spending allotments are trampled by spending cuts to health and essential service agencies. A mention of money being set aside for Aboriginal education is accompanied by a cut of two per cent to Aboriginal Affairs, and 5.7 per cent cut to Health Canada. This seems like a “take from Peter to give to Paul” kind of game, with no one being the clear winner.”
To read the entire blog go to the Huffington Post website.
