Yesterday's budget...

I pay my taxes, unwillingly, but without serious objection. I, along with most Canadian must depend on the government to spend those dollars with wisdom and with justice, that those funds will not be diverted from their primary purpose, that the public will not be taken advantaged of by those individuals who might divert, through whatever means, those dollars to and for their own personal use.

Now, in that regard, I am looking forward to the December release of the Gomery Commission report on the sponsorship scandal. There may be lesson to be learned by our government!

Our prime minister is one of the most powerful men in the world in relationship to his country. Whatever he wants, he usually gets. His decisions are almost automatically accepted by parliament, in particular, if his government is in a majority position. He controls his cabinet; he controls the secret cabinet meetings. Cabinet members either obey or they are out, and I really mean, out. Was not our present prime minister, even as minister of finance, out of the loop relating to monies going to Quebec contractors for government advertising? At least, I believe, that is what he would like the Canadian public to believe.

Yesterday was budget day. Being in a minority government situation, the budget was one of compromise. That should prove to be good news for most Canadians. There was something there for most of us. Were there pressures for the government to have budget items that would reflect the strong interests of the opposition in parliament? Of course, and that is why the budget should pass. To defeat the government bill on the budget would mean another election, too soon after the last. The Canadian public would not look upon an election in a favourable light. The Liberals in all their wisdom would not want to be defeated at this time or, for that matter, at any time! So, we have a budget with something for every one!

A few words for Mr. Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada:

Thank you Mr. Dithering Santa Clause, and here we are in February! And to think, you are just providing “gifts” for which, we, the recipients, have already provided the funds, our tax dollars. Yes, pat yourself on the back. You use the surplus dollars to reduce the country’s debt; you use some surplus dollars to provide necessary social programs. Those surplus dollars came from excessive taxation. You take with the right hand and give with the left, whatever is left after administrative fees, bureaucratic costs and other expenses are deducted. Yes, your dithering comes at an expense to the Canadian public, and your dithering produces a bad image of Canada. You dither; we wither; that is not good enough. Why don’t you just resign? The next Liberal convention will find a good man; he is standing in the wings.