Your the boss now! What stays? What goes?

[ArmyRick]

I have to admit of all the places I chat online with fellow Canadians about politics, I must admit that army.ca is the most sensible crow. I find I agree with some, disagree with others but always people here have reasons that make sense (even if to themselves) as to why they swing their vote one way or another.

Let us move past that. I want to initiate a discussion about HOW our federal government spends money. If you were the PM and had a super supportive majority governing party, what would you cut? What would you reduce? Or were would you spend more? If possible add context. Is there any streamlining that could happen?

Your thoughts?

 

[ArmyRick]

I'll fire in my first thought. I had recently learned of something called an Infrastructure Bank or something to that effect that had 35 BILLION spent on it, and nothing to show for it, chop. Bye bye.

Defence? I would increase spending. Starting with heavy investment on facilities, buildings, barracks, etc. Then move procurement for defence over to DND not allow Public works to ball it up. Before I continue, defence spending is another ball of thread and lets keep it on those post.

I would sniff out any and all spending on arts, music, etc and cut.

Got to feed cattle, more to follow later.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I would start with an across the board firing of 50% of all EXs. The remainders would then be wedded to their departments (except in rare cases) to both regain lost expertise on files and be accountable for their decisions. But, I would also decentralize decision making away from PMO/PCO.

I would take the Federal Government back to first principles. Is a department doing something that is actually a federal constitutional mandate? If not- cede the funding/tax credits to the Provinces and ramp down the department.

I would cut cabinet back to about 18 ministers. My 4 most important ministers would be finance, foreign justice and defence. Everyone else is second tier.

I would increase defence spending, but the MND would be totally responsible for defence procurement. Treasury Board would audit program spending, but the spending would be entirely within that Minister’s control. One person to blame, if it goes wrong.

Regional Development agencies would be gone. That is just industrial bribery.

The CBC, I would actually keep, but the entire board and executive would be fired. A new board would hired to put in place programming about Canadians for all Canadians- not just for the 7% uber progressives. Why isn’t Letterkenny or Shoresy a CBC project, for example?

There would be a large clean up of regulations and laws that hamper development.

 

[ArmyRick]

The CBC, I would actually keep, but the entire board and executive would be fired. A new board would hired to put in place programming about Canadians for all Canadians- not just for the 7% uber progressives. Why isn’t Letterkenny or Shoresy a CBC project, for example?

Just an idea. If CBC is kept, what if the government owned portion was split evenly between Federal government and the provinces and terrirtories? As shareholders? That way the "news" from the CBC would kind of forced to be neutral and not leaning one way or another. Plus their may be more pressure to turn a profit.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Massive clean up of the income tax code. Simplify everything, so we can rid of many CRA employees.

While cutting income taxes, I would actually increase the GST to 10%. As the Debt to GDP ratio improves, that can be cut back.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Just an idea. If CBC is kept, what if the government owned portion was split evenly between Federal government and the provinces and terrirtories? As shareholders? That way the "news" from the CBC would kind of forced to be neutral and not leaning one way or another. Plus their may be more pressure to turn a profit.

They would be government funded, but their ability to advertise would be gone. They would not be competing with private media in Canada. They would occupy a niche that the private broadcasters won’t fill in small and remote markets.

 

[ArmyRick]

For those interested, here is the departments and agencies of the Canadian Federal government

Departments and agencies - Canada.ca

Here is an alphabetical list of links to current Government of Canada Departments, Agencies, Crown Corporations, Special Operating Agencies and other related organizations.

www.canada.ca

 

[Brad Sallows]

What goes: all the spending the previous government turned up in the first year after defeating the Conservatives. We can be confident none of it was vital if we hadn't been spending it before.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Good ideas so far. I would set a goal to whittle down the PS. I would set a 10% reduction goal over two years with managers figuring out what/whom to cut and have that people dealing with the public and working directly with coalface issues, be untouched.
I would reduce the requirement for industrial offsets for defense purchases.