Liberal... Yeah!
While I try very hard not to post about anything political... There has been a huge up-cry recently in response to the comments by Scott Reid regarding the likelihood that parents given an extra $100 a month are more likely to spend it on "beer and popcorn" than some sort of privatized child care for their children. There is a small minority who would benefit from and extra $100 a month but it isn't the poor or middle class who depend on subsidized child care.
Like higher education in Canada, child care is subsidized by the government. In Ontario the subsidy is $2,608 per child which represents 66% (2/3rds) of the total cost (or $451,500,000 annually). What Harper is suggesting though is to give parents the remaining 1/3rd from the federal coffers which are currently doing pretty well. The problem is that having all that money in the bank now, it is easy for the opposition to look for popular ways to spend it. Whether it is reducing the GST to 5% or promising "free money" to parents these are merely attempts to popularize themselves with voters who are already on their fringe. The problems will become more apparent when they try to live up to these promises of both reducing taxes and increasing spending.
Canada in my opinion has had a bit of a renaissance on late. We remain untouched by many of the racial disputes troubling Europe and Australia, we have benefited from the Americans "War on Islam" because we've avoided spending trillions of dollars to convert people to an economic and political system they have little interest in and yet the value of our goods have increased relative to their dollar. In short, we are sitting pretty well off despite our ongoing troubles with Quebec thanks to the current Liberal leadership and the historically positive social influence of the NDP. If you honestly believe that Canada is better off with a socially conservative government with a "lottery-style" windfall, then go ahead and vote conservative. Me, I'll be voting Liberal... Better the thief interested in your money than the thief who wants your money and to get inside your bed and home.
P.S. For anyone reading this who actually pays attention to politics I realize there are some questionable connections here but I feel that it is the social liberties and programs which define Canada as being different from the U.S. and it is Harper's vision of privatization which is the greater threat to Canadian identity not Liberal waste on holding the nation together.
Like higher education in Canada, child care is subsidized by the government. In Ontario the subsidy is $2,608 per child which represents 66% (2/3rds) of the total cost (or $451,500,000 annually). What Harper is suggesting though is to give parents the remaining 1/3rd from the federal coffers which are currently doing pretty well. The problem is that having all that money in the bank now, it is easy for the opposition to look for popular ways to spend it. Whether it is reducing the GST to 5% or promising "free money" to parents these are merely attempts to popularize themselves with voters who are already on their fringe. The problems will become more apparent when they try to live up to these promises of both reducing taxes and increasing spending.
Canada in my opinion has had a bit of a renaissance on late. We remain untouched by many of the racial disputes troubling Europe and Australia, we have benefited from the Americans "War on Islam" because we've avoided spending trillions of dollars to convert people to an economic and political system they have little interest in and yet the value of our goods have increased relative to their dollar. In short, we are sitting pretty well off despite our ongoing troubles with Quebec thanks to the current Liberal leadership and the historically positive social influence of the NDP. If you honestly believe that Canada is better off with a socially conservative government with a "lottery-style" windfall, then go ahead and vote conservative. Me, I'll be voting Liberal... Better the thief interested in your money than the thief who wants your money and to get inside your bed and home.
P.S. For anyone reading this who actually pays attention to politics I realize there are some questionable connections here but I feel that it is the social liberties and programs which define Canada as being different from the U.S. and it is Harper's vision of privatization which is the greater threat to Canadian identity not Liberal waste on holding the nation together.