by Colleen Beaumier

The debt crises in our country is real and must be tackled immediately. But, many of the plans being suggested by politicians who are trying to maintain or gain control, are digressive and potentially damaging to the social fiber of our country.

For example, Preston Manning, founder of the Reform Party stated some of the following positions, that his party would abolish the Canada Health Act. This would lead to user fees, and extra billing infect dismantling a health care system that has become the cavy of the world, The problem with this attitude is that the sick, the elderly and the working poor are the people who are the most at risk. Liberals consider health care a right, not a privilege, while we recognize that the health care system is under considerable pressure, we believe that the solution will be found only when the partners in the health care system address the problems. Creating a national forum on health care will result in finding a solution without sacrificing universality.

Under the immigration policy proposed by the Reform Party, many of the people who came to Canada and helped this country even some members of the Reform Party would never have been allowed into the country in the first place. In this war on Multiculturalism, Manning would scrap antiracism programs, and youth employment programs directed at fighting racism. The refusal of the Reform Party to recognize the importance of Canada’s two “official languages” would lead to the end of Canada as we know it, abandoning Quebec An geophones and Francophone outside Quebec people who have roots stretching back generators. At a time when Canadians should be pulling together, the ad vocation of divisional policies is totally irresponsible, I cannot believe that in light of what is happening in Bosnia today, any responsible person can advocate policies which lead to the polarization of peoples based on religion, language or culture. How can any group or Political party which considers itself a responsible organization even consider blaming outside forces for the economic woes of government? During the most lucrative economic times that the world has enjoyed, a conservative government with rightwing policies did nothing to decrease the deficit and in fact, more than doubled the national debt over a period of eight years. It was only the Liberal Party in Ontario with Liberal policies who managed to reduce the deficit and in fact achieved a surplus in 1991. The arbitrary 15% across the board budget cuts proposed by the Reform Party represent an in fan tile approach to government that would allow politicians to shirk from tough choices, and be devastating for low and middle income families. Certainly spending cuts must be put into place (we can begin with the cancellation of $4.4 billion dollars’ worth of helicopters). But the deficit must also be reduced as a percentage of the GDP. It only stands to reason that the more people you have working the more tax money can go to reduce and eliminate the deficit,

Incentives to promote investment, such as lower interest rates, and a lower Canadian dollar to make our Canadian products more: Competitive appear to be in order. Tax incentives to encourage businesses to become partners in youth training and employment as well as retraining older workers would also benefit Canadians. We need to take action to heal our economic wounds, bot NOL action without a vision. The key measure of our economic and social policy must be, ‘investment in people.” The Reform Party is trying to sell the Politics of nostalgia advocating Back to the Future policies at a time when Canadians need to pull together. They are using scare tactics on issues like Bilingualism and Multiculturalism to drive Canadians apart. The problem with this kind of politics is that people often buy it without thinking. These often appear to be quick fix solutions, The people who buy this garbage aren’t necessarily ugly bigots or even people who are unsympathetic towards the feelings of people to whom these issues are important, but I am not sure if the same can be said of those who develop the policies. The people who are the most susceptible to this hate propaganda are people who are unsure of the future. When insecurity becomes prevalent, common sense is often its first victim.

Article extracted from this publication >>  June 4, 1993