Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
Gee-- our own version of the US rabid right!!!! LOL ! Now isnt that SPECIAL
The WAR on Science: Thursday, November 21, 2013, 7:00 pm Room 1900, SFU Harbour Ctr
- Thread starter agentaqua
- Start date
- Status
walleyes
Crew Member
Activism disguised as journalism: the CBC
by Joel Johannesen
No, the tweets below, from the state-owned CBC’s “News” account, are not part of an effort to reignite the far-left’s ****** (literally) “Occupy” movement. It just looks like it. And they definitely aren’t part of a campaign to promote Justin Trudeau and his Liberal-left progressives, even though the themes are exactly the same. And they’re also not just a helpful nod to the socialist NDP’s campaign to divide Canadians into classes and sectors and get them to hate each other. No the real answer is that it’s all those things at the same time.
Yeah we are the 1%, says Amanda Lang and the CBC, complete with a photo of her beside a sign saying so. We can’t say it enough!
They tweeted this promo over and over. I counted nine times that this was tweeted on @CBCNews, just one of the state-owned CBC’s many Twitter accounts. Since March 14 the account has tweeted about the protests against the militant, murderous socialist regime in Venezuela, once.
That state-owned media would organize such a politically-charged “event” is a farce, since the outcome is preordained by the CBC’s systemic left-wing bias and left-wing audience. But like so much of the “Occupy” idiocy, or Justin Trudeau’s/Tom Mulcair’s progressive-left blather, or the obsequious left-wing advocacy from their CBC division, the premise is mostly a farce.
The former chief economic analyst at Stats Can, Philip Cross, was quoted in a recent article speaking in direct contradiction to the CBC (et al) and their false narrative and leftist agenda:
“I would say that [the real statistical evidence] contradicts the idea that all the wealth in the last decade was hoarded by the 1% and the rest of us are fighting over table scraps.”
Here’s more from the article that was published at the Financial Post:
Financial_Post
The ‘paycheque to paycheque’ myth: How Canada’s middle class is getting richer, a lot richer
Canadian politicians have been trying to make the middle class out to be a poor huddled mass of declining fortunes, but a landmark study from Statistics Canada paints very much the opposite picture.
The study, released Tuesday, shows the median net worth of Canadian families jumped 44.5% to $243,800 in 2012, up from $168,700 in 2005. Over the past 15 years, the median net worth figure leaps 80%. The numbers are adjusted for inflation and measure the amount of money left over if all debts were paid and all assets were sold.
“This shows the middle class isn’t withering away,” said Philip Cross, research fellow for the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and former chief economic analyst at Statistics Canada. “It shows Canadians have money to set aside for savings, so it’s not like they are living from paycheque to paycheque, which is the way a lot of the narrative surrounding the middle class has recently been framed.”
… Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said in an ad last year that the current Canadian economy tends to overwhelmingly benefit “a few” at the expense of Canada’s middle class.
This idea was not borne out in the StatsCan study which also showed the middle class sucking up a bigger portion of the country’s overall wealth. …
The big CBC Q&A about “the 1%” and “income inequality” comes at the same time the Liberals and the even more socialist NDP are advancing exactly those themes as the central part of their election campaign platforms. For example, see “Kelly McParland: Trudeau and Mulcair need to convince middle class Canadians their life sucks.” So the CBC joins them, as do several other left-wing and far-left organizations that are advancing exactly the same themes at the same time. I’ll be called a whack-job conspiracy-theorist for saying that they are seemingly acting in concert; even while they are actually working, uh, amazingly together on the same theme at the same time; and even though they’re flying in the face of the statistical science which proves them wrong about their whole premise, and bastardizes their political platform.
In her pallid answers, even the CBC’s Amanda Lang says that this isn’t actually about the 1% that she and her CBC tweeted about more than a dozen times. It’s about the top 1/10 of the 1%. Yup. That many people.
The real problem is at the very top end of the 1% – the 1/10th of 1%, or the uber rich.
– Amanda Lang “answers your questions…”
What is that — like eight people in Canada? As we say in my house, holy crap that’s a small number with which to invent a false crisis especially when it’s based on pure crap politics and idiocy, and now let’s change channels from CBC back to Fox News please.
The other answers that Amanda Lang featured, by the way, were mostly fluff and bromides designed to appeal to the typical “Occupy” left-wing whiner. In other words, their base audience, and the Liberal/NDP voter base.
The “1%” (ore more accurately, the 1/10 of 1%) I worry about are not the people who made it in this world. It’s those people who have the controls of a state-owned 1.5 billion-dollar per-year multi-platform media behemoth, and use it like a tool to advance a political agenda, at our own expense, not their own. Like they did here. They are much, much more powerful. And they didn’t earn it. And it’s not even their money, or their tools. The CBC is what should be “occupied.”
State-owned media should be banned in Canada, and that notion enshrined in our constitution.
by Joel Johannesen
No, the tweets below, from the state-owned CBC’s “News” account, are not part of an effort to reignite the far-left’s ****** (literally) “Occupy” movement. It just looks like it. And they definitely aren’t part of a campaign to promote Justin Trudeau and his Liberal-left progressives, even though the themes are exactly the same. And they’re also not just a helpful nod to the socialist NDP’s campaign to divide Canadians into classes and sectors and get them to hate each other. No the real answer is that it’s all those things at the same time.
Yeah we are the 1%, says Amanda Lang and the CBC, complete with a photo of her beside a sign saying so. We can’t say it enough!
They tweeted this promo over and over. I counted nine times that this was tweeted on @CBCNews, just one of the state-owned CBC’s many Twitter accounts. Since March 14 the account has tweeted about the protests against the militant, murderous socialist regime in Venezuela, once.
That state-owned media would organize such a politically-charged “event” is a farce, since the outcome is preordained by the CBC’s systemic left-wing bias and left-wing audience. But like so much of the “Occupy” idiocy, or Justin Trudeau’s/Tom Mulcair’s progressive-left blather, or the obsequious left-wing advocacy from their CBC division, the premise is mostly a farce.
The former chief economic analyst at Stats Can, Philip Cross, was quoted in a recent article speaking in direct contradiction to the CBC (et al) and their false narrative and leftist agenda:
“I would say that [the real statistical evidence] contradicts the idea that all the wealth in the last decade was hoarded by the 1% and the rest of us are fighting over table scraps.”
Here’s more from the article that was published at the Financial Post:
Financial_Post
The ‘paycheque to paycheque’ myth: How Canada’s middle class is getting richer, a lot richer
Canadian politicians have been trying to make the middle class out to be a poor huddled mass of declining fortunes, but a landmark study from Statistics Canada paints very much the opposite picture.
The study, released Tuesday, shows the median net worth of Canadian families jumped 44.5% to $243,800 in 2012, up from $168,700 in 2005. Over the past 15 years, the median net worth figure leaps 80%. The numbers are adjusted for inflation and measure the amount of money left over if all debts were paid and all assets were sold.
“This shows the middle class isn’t withering away,” said Philip Cross, research fellow for the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and former chief economic analyst at Statistics Canada. “It shows Canadians have money to set aside for savings, so it’s not like they are living from paycheque to paycheque, which is the way a lot of the narrative surrounding the middle class has recently been framed.”
… Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said in an ad last year that the current Canadian economy tends to overwhelmingly benefit “a few” at the expense of Canada’s middle class.
This idea was not borne out in the StatsCan study which also showed the middle class sucking up a bigger portion of the country’s overall wealth. …
The big CBC Q&A about “the 1%” and “income inequality” comes at the same time the Liberals and the even more socialist NDP are advancing exactly those themes as the central part of their election campaign platforms. For example, see “Kelly McParland: Trudeau and Mulcair need to convince middle class Canadians their life sucks.” So the CBC joins them, as do several other left-wing and far-left organizations that are advancing exactly the same themes at the same time. I’ll be called a whack-job conspiracy-theorist for saying that they are seemingly acting in concert; even while they are actually working, uh, amazingly together on the same theme at the same time; and even though they’re flying in the face of the statistical science which proves them wrong about their whole premise, and bastardizes their political platform.
In her pallid answers, even the CBC’s Amanda Lang says that this isn’t actually about the 1% that she and her CBC tweeted about more than a dozen times. It’s about the top 1/10 of the 1%. Yup. That many people.
The real problem is at the very top end of the 1% – the 1/10th of 1%, or the uber rich.
– Amanda Lang “answers your questions…”
What is that — like eight people in Canada? As we say in my house, holy crap that’s a small number with which to invent a false crisis especially when it’s based on pure crap politics and idiocy, and now let’s change channels from CBC back to Fox News please.
The other answers that Amanda Lang featured, by the way, were mostly fluff and bromides designed to appeal to the typical “Occupy” left-wing whiner. In other words, their base audience, and the Liberal/NDP voter base.
The “1%” (ore more accurately, the 1/10 of 1%) I worry about are not the people who made it in this world. It’s those people who have the controls of a state-owned 1.5 billion-dollar per-year multi-platform media behemoth, and use it like a tool to advance a political agenda, at our own expense, not their own. Like they did here. They are much, much more powerful. And they didn’t earn it. And it’s not even their money, or their tools. The CBC is what should be “occupied.”
State-owned media should be banned in Canada, and that notion enshrined in our constitution.
walleyes
Crew Member
And where are these socialists hiding,, no where they are in plane view..
http://socialistsolidarity.ca/links.html
http://socialistsolidarity.ca/links.html
GLG
Well-Known Member
According to the Harper Government and their fans we now have....
A socialist under our beds, be afraid
A jihadist under our beds, be afraid...
The communists are coming to get us... be afraid.
Iran will nuke us... be afraid.
The economy will go in the tank (if you don't vote for us)... be afraid.
But don't worry we will protect you by adding software to your computer to keep you safe.
Vote for us because we are here to protect you.
Just give up your rights and we will keep you safe.
Big Brother Harper knows best......
We are the tea party north and we will teach you how to think.
Walleyes ... what's it feel like to be afraid all the time?
A socialist under our beds, be afraid
A jihadist under our beds, be afraid...
The communists are coming to get us... be afraid.
Iran will nuke us... be afraid.
The economy will go in the tank (if you don't vote for us)... be afraid.
But don't worry we will protect you by adding software to your computer to keep you safe.
Vote for us because we are here to protect you.
Just give up your rights and we will keep you safe.
Big Brother Harper knows best......
We are the tea party north and we will teach you how to think.
Walleyes ... what's it feel like to be afraid all the time?
Last edited by a moderator:
walleyes
Crew Member
Don't be a fool GLG,, look around you man can't you see what is happening in this world.
I am not afraid,, I am standing guard.
Did you open the link I posted above I didn't make that list up. This is a web site that exist's in our country. All those on that list are on there by their own submission. Did you read the last line on that link. Titled the Marxist Essay's. Does it not concern you that all those organisations are affiliated with such ideals in our country.
Yes some of the posts I put up are pretty far right but no more far right than most of the post's you guys put up are far left based.
I am a member of this site and have been for the last 9 years. Over those 9 years I have sat here and read and listened to the far left socialist agendas on this site and it astonishes me to think we have these types of people living in our country. A country based on freedom, built on democracy and free market trade. A country that was founded because our fore fathers wanted less government and now we have people that are willing to destroy that concept. There are places that those with that agenda can move to if those ideals suit you. This is our country, the free peoples country don't destroy our country. You are a small group in BC and shrinking more every day and I will do my part to change those ideals before they destroy our way of life.
I am not a fool, it is obvious our current government is not perfect no government is but the alternative in this country is too far off base to even consider. Prime minister Harper has done a pretty darn good job with what he has had to work with and in trying to appease all the different ideals in our country. But when I see lies and fabricated stories posted day after day its up setting.
We all have family and friends that have fought and died to preserve our way of life the free way of life I will not let those that died for me to have died in vain just to sit back and give our country away. I will make no apologizes for protecting my country for standing up for freedom. I stand on guard for thee. I am prepared to defend those freedoms if called upon by my country.
Have a pleasant holiday weekend with your family in peace and say a prayer for those that can't have peace this weekend.
Last edited by a moderator:
walleyes
Crew Member
Clint r
Well-Known Member
I served as a member of this countries armed forces for four years. Two as a private and two as a corporal. Over the last few years I've watched Harper and his cronies treat Veterans as little better than trash, erode my civil rights as a citizen of this country and flat out turn his back on the needs of large sections of the population. I'm ashamed as a Canadian that we let this happen.
walleyes
Crew Member
Harper Government announces new benefit for Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans
Benefit to recognize and compensate for very serious injuries and diseases
March 30, 2015 – Ottawa – Veterans Affairs Canada
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs, unveiled today the proposed new Critical Injury Benefit (CIB), which will provide a $70,000 tax-free award to support the most severely injured and ill Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and Veterans.
The proposed new CIB is intended to address the immediate impacts of the most severe and traumatic service-related injuries or diseases sustained by CAF members and Veterans, between the time the injury or disease occurs and the time when their condition becomes medically stable. The CIB is in recognition of the stress and hardship CAF members and Veterans go through in the weeks and months following a sudden event resulting in traumatic injury or disease. The CIB is intended to work alongside the existing benefits and supports delivered by Veterans Affairs Canada for which injured Veterans are eligible, and it is separate and apart from disability award payments.
This announcement was one element of the new Support for Veterans and their Families Act introduced in the House of Commons today to provide new support for CAF members and Veterans, and their families. Along with the Critical Injury Benefit, other proposed initiatives in this new legislation include:
the Retirement Income Security Benefit for moderately to severely disabled Veterans beginning at age 65 and their survivors;
the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit for eligible Veterans requiring ongoing informal care—a tax-free grant of $7,238 annually;
the addition of a purpose statement to the New Veterans Charter recognizing the Government’s obligation to CAF members, Veterans and their families; and
the authority for Veterans Affairs Canada to provide advice and information to CAF members and Veterans, and make decisions on applications for benefits and services prior to their release from the military to help them successfully transition to civilian life.
Quick Facts
The new Critical Injury Benefit will be one of many supports available to serving members and Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces with service-related injuries or diseases.
The Critical Injury Benefit focuses on those who need it the most: Veterans who endure sudden and severe injury or disease while in the line of duty.
The Critical Injury Benefit will work in concert with existing services and benefits to establish a continuum of support from the onset of a severe and traumatic injury or disease.
The Critical Injury Benefit will be paid to eligible CAF members and Veterans who have suffered a sudden, severe and traumatic injury or developed an acute disease since April 1, 2006.
Quote
“This new benefit will provide immediate recognition and compensation to CAF members and Veterans who have made a tremendous personal sacrifice, and will provide them with security and peace of mind following a critical injury or illness. Our Government will continue to support Canada’s Veterans and ensure the changing nature of the needs of Veterans is met with the best possible service.”
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs
Associated Links
Backgrounder - Proposed new Critical Injury Benefit
Government of Canada announces enhanced lifetime support for injured Veterans and their families – News Release
Minister O’Toole strengthens benefits for reservists – News Release
Government of Canada announces new benefits and services for Veterans and families – News Release
Services and Benefits for Veterans
Mental Health Enhancements
Disability Benefits
Veterans Affairs Canada is committed to ensuring Veterans are treated with the care, compassion and respect they deserve. Veterans and their families are at the center of everything we do. #VeteranCentric
– 30 –
Contacts
Martin Magnan
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
613-996-4649
Media Relations
Veterans Affairs Canada
613-992-7468
Benefit to recognize and compensate for very serious injuries and diseases
March 30, 2015 – Ottawa – Veterans Affairs Canada
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs, unveiled today the proposed new Critical Injury Benefit (CIB), which will provide a $70,000 tax-free award to support the most severely injured and ill Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and Veterans.
The proposed new CIB is intended to address the immediate impacts of the most severe and traumatic service-related injuries or diseases sustained by CAF members and Veterans, between the time the injury or disease occurs and the time when their condition becomes medically stable. The CIB is in recognition of the stress and hardship CAF members and Veterans go through in the weeks and months following a sudden event resulting in traumatic injury or disease. The CIB is intended to work alongside the existing benefits and supports delivered by Veterans Affairs Canada for which injured Veterans are eligible, and it is separate and apart from disability award payments.
This announcement was one element of the new Support for Veterans and their Families Act introduced in the House of Commons today to provide new support for CAF members and Veterans, and their families. Along with the Critical Injury Benefit, other proposed initiatives in this new legislation include:
the Retirement Income Security Benefit for moderately to severely disabled Veterans beginning at age 65 and their survivors;
the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit for eligible Veterans requiring ongoing informal care—a tax-free grant of $7,238 annually;
the addition of a purpose statement to the New Veterans Charter recognizing the Government’s obligation to CAF members, Veterans and their families; and
the authority for Veterans Affairs Canada to provide advice and information to CAF members and Veterans, and make decisions on applications for benefits and services prior to their release from the military to help them successfully transition to civilian life.
Quick Facts
The new Critical Injury Benefit will be one of many supports available to serving members and Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces with service-related injuries or diseases.
The Critical Injury Benefit focuses on those who need it the most: Veterans who endure sudden and severe injury or disease while in the line of duty.
The Critical Injury Benefit will work in concert with existing services and benefits to establish a continuum of support from the onset of a severe and traumatic injury or disease.
The Critical Injury Benefit will be paid to eligible CAF members and Veterans who have suffered a sudden, severe and traumatic injury or developed an acute disease since April 1, 2006.
Quote
“This new benefit will provide immediate recognition and compensation to CAF members and Veterans who have made a tremendous personal sacrifice, and will provide them with security and peace of mind following a critical injury or illness. Our Government will continue to support Canada’s Veterans and ensure the changing nature of the needs of Veterans is met with the best possible service.”
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs
Associated Links
Backgrounder - Proposed new Critical Injury Benefit
Government of Canada announces enhanced lifetime support for injured Veterans and their families – News Release
Minister O’Toole strengthens benefits for reservists – News Release
Government of Canada announces new benefits and services for Veterans and families – News Release
Services and Benefits for Veterans
Mental Health Enhancements
Disability Benefits
Veterans Affairs Canada is committed to ensuring Veterans are treated with the care, compassion and respect they deserve. Veterans and their families are at the center of everything we do. #VeteranCentric
– 30 –
Contacts
Martin Magnan
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
613-996-4649
Media Relations
Veterans Affairs Canada
613-992-7468
walleyes
Crew Member
Proposed new Critical Injury Benefit for Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans
A number of programs and services are currently in place to ensure that the health, rehabilitation and financial needs of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and Veterans are met.
The proposed new Critical Injury Benefit (CIB) would provide a $70,000 tax-free award for CAF members and Veterans who, since April 2006, experienced a severe and traumatic injury or developed an acute disease caused by a sudden and single event which resulted in an immediate and severe impairment and interference in quality of life.
This benefit is in recognition of the immediate stress and hardship a CAF member or Veteran experiences after a traumatic incident. It spans the time between the initial incident and when the CAF member or Veteran becomes medically stable.
The proposed new CIB funds would be paid directly to the CAF member or Veteran and are separate and apart from disability award payments. The Critical Injury Benefit focuses on those who need it the most: Veterans who endure sudden and severe injury or disease while in the line of duty.
Other Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada benefits already cover expenses incurred by family members who are traveling to be with the injured or ill CAF member.
As part of the Department’s continued commitment to Veteran-centric care, and in order to reduce wait times, Veterans Affairs Canada employees will proactively contact Veterans who have experienced a severe service-related injury or disease to discuss this new benefit.
Example of who could benefit from this new payment
Richard is a paratrooper who was involved in a training accident and fell three stories. He sustained a severe concussion, internal injuries and multiple fractures. He had multiple surgeries and needed intensive rehabilitation to regain strength and the ability to walk. Over time, Richard recovered and was deemed medically stable. While he applied for a VAC disability award, he did not receive a payment because he did not have a permanent disability. However, due to the severity of his injuries, he would now be eligible for the proposed new Critical Injury Benefit.
A continuum of care
While recognition for the most severely injured is the focus of today’s announcement, it must be viewed as part of a spectrum of services and supports available to CAF members and Veterans. Benefits and services such as rehabilitation and vocational assistance, and the Health Benefits Program, for example, are designed to help support the needs of ill and injured Veterans
A number of programs and services are currently in place to ensure that the health, rehabilitation and financial needs of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and Veterans are met.
The proposed new Critical Injury Benefit (CIB) would provide a $70,000 tax-free award for CAF members and Veterans who, since April 2006, experienced a severe and traumatic injury or developed an acute disease caused by a sudden and single event which resulted in an immediate and severe impairment and interference in quality of life.
This benefit is in recognition of the immediate stress and hardship a CAF member or Veteran experiences after a traumatic incident. It spans the time between the initial incident and when the CAF member or Veteran becomes medically stable.
The proposed new CIB funds would be paid directly to the CAF member or Veteran and are separate and apart from disability award payments. The Critical Injury Benefit focuses on those who need it the most: Veterans who endure sudden and severe injury or disease while in the line of duty.
Other Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada benefits already cover expenses incurred by family members who are traveling to be with the injured or ill CAF member.
As part of the Department’s continued commitment to Veteran-centric care, and in order to reduce wait times, Veterans Affairs Canada employees will proactively contact Veterans who have experienced a severe service-related injury or disease to discuss this new benefit.
Example of who could benefit from this new payment
Richard is a paratrooper who was involved in a training accident and fell three stories. He sustained a severe concussion, internal injuries and multiple fractures. He had multiple surgeries and needed intensive rehabilitation to regain strength and the ability to walk. Over time, Richard recovered and was deemed medically stable. While he applied for a VAC disability award, he did not receive a payment because he did not have a permanent disability. However, due to the severity of his injuries, he would now be eligible for the proposed new Critical Injury Benefit.
A continuum of care
While recognition for the most severely injured is the focus of today’s announcement, it must be viewed as part of a spectrum of services and supports available to CAF members and Veterans. Benefits and services such as rehabilitation and vocational assistance, and the Health Benefits Program, for example, are designed to help support the needs of ill and injured Veterans
walleyes
Crew Member
Government of Canada announces enhanced lifetime support for injured Veterans and their families
New monthly benefit addresses significant gap for Canada’s moderately to severely disabled Veterans and survivors
March 9, 2015 – Toronto – Veterans Affairs Canada
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs, unveiled a proposed new financial benefit today aimed at providing financial stability to Veterans who are moderately to severely disabled and their families. The Minister was joined by Veterans’ groups, members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Veterans Ombudsman, Guy Parent.
Currently, the Earnings Loss Benefit—upon which many moderately to severely disabled Veterans rely—is not available after the age of 65, resulting in a drop in the Veteran’s annual income. The new Retirement Income Security Benefit announced today would provide these Veterans with continued assistance in the form of a monthly income support payment beginning at age 65.
The proposed Retirement Income Security Benefit would work in concert with existing services and benefits to establish a continuum of support that spans a disabled Veteran’s entire life. It is designed for those whose ability to save for retirement was directly impacted by their service to our country. Income support would also be extended to families through continued payment of a monthly benefit to the Veteran’s survivor.
The Government of Canada also recognizes the complexity of financial benefits available for moderately to severely disabled Veterans. As part of a continued commitment to Veteran-centric care, Minister O’Toole indicated that Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is examining ways to combine these new and existing supports into a single monthly pension for severely injured Veterans.
Quick Facts
The Retirement Income Security Benefit would ensure that an eligible Veteran’s total annual income is at least 70% of what he or she received in financial benefits from VAC before age 65.
Monthly payments would be calculated on a case-by-case basis, taking into account how much the Veteran was receiving before age 65 and other sources of income he or she may have beyond age 65.
It is estimated that by 2020, approximately 5,800 Veterans and survivors would qualify for the Retirement Income Security Benefit upon turning 65. An estimated 261 Veterans and survivors would receive payments by 2020.
Today’s announcement responds directly to concerns raised by the Veterans Ombudsman and the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Quotes
"Today, we are closing a major gap in the New Veterans Charter that was identified by the Veterans Ombudsman and others in recent years. The Retirement Income Security Benefit will ensure that Veterans who are moderately to severely disabled receive lifetime financial support beyond the age of 65. This new benefit will provide security and peace of mind to Veterans and their families as they grow older."
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs
"The Retirement Income Security Benefit meets the intent of my recommendation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs on the most urgent New Veterans Charter shortcoming: after age 65 financial support. I congratulate the Minister of Veterans Affairs for his leadership on this issue and I encourage all parliamentarians to pass this new pension benefit without delay."
Guy Parent, Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman
New monthly benefit addresses significant gap for Canada’s moderately to severely disabled Veterans and survivors
March 9, 2015 – Toronto – Veterans Affairs Canada
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs, unveiled a proposed new financial benefit today aimed at providing financial stability to Veterans who are moderately to severely disabled and their families. The Minister was joined by Veterans’ groups, members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Veterans Ombudsman, Guy Parent.
Currently, the Earnings Loss Benefit—upon which many moderately to severely disabled Veterans rely—is not available after the age of 65, resulting in a drop in the Veteran’s annual income. The new Retirement Income Security Benefit announced today would provide these Veterans with continued assistance in the form of a monthly income support payment beginning at age 65.
The proposed Retirement Income Security Benefit would work in concert with existing services and benefits to establish a continuum of support that spans a disabled Veteran’s entire life. It is designed for those whose ability to save for retirement was directly impacted by their service to our country. Income support would also be extended to families through continued payment of a monthly benefit to the Veteran’s survivor.
The Government of Canada also recognizes the complexity of financial benefits available for moderately to severely disabled Veterans. As part of a continued commitment to Veteran-centric care, Minister O’Toole indicated that Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is examining ways to combine these new and existing supports into a single monthly pension for severely injured Veterans.
Quick Facts
The Retirement Income Security Benefit would ensure that an eligible Veteran’s total annual income is at least 70% of what he or she received in financial benefits from VAC before age 65.
Monthly payments would be calculated on a case-by-case basis, taking into account how much the Veteran was receiving before age 65 and other sources of income he or she may have beyond age 65.
It is estimated that by 2020, approximately 5,800 Veterans and survivors would qualify for the Retirement Income Security Benefit upon turning 65. An estimated 261 Veterans and survivors would receive payments by 2020.
Today’s announcement responds directly to concerns raised by the Veterans Ombudsman and the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Quotes
"Today, we are closing a major gap in the New Veterans Charter that was identified by the Veterans Ombudsman and others in recent years. The Retirement Income Security Benefit will ensure that Veterans who are moderately to severely disabled receive lifetime financial support beyond the age of 65. This new benefit will provide security and peace of mind to Veterans and their families as they grow older."
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs
"The Retirement Income Security Benefit meets the intent of my recommendation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs on the most urgent New Veterans Charter shortcoming: after age 65 financial support. I congratulate the Minister of Veterans Affairs for his leadership on this issue and I encourage all parliamentarians to pass this new pension benefit without delay."
Guy Parent, Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman
walleyes
Crew Member
Minister O'Toole strengthens benefits for reservists
March 13, 2015 – Halifax – Veterans Affairs Canada
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs, and the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced part-time Reserve Force Veterans will have the support they deserve, honouring a pledge made by the Government of Canada. The ministers were joined by Member of Parliament Scott Armstrong and the Veterans Ombudsman, Guy Parent.
Today’s announcement focused on the Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) Earnings Loss (EL) Benefit, which provides income support for Veterans with service-related injuries while they are participating in VAC’s Rehabilitation Program or who are unable to be suitably employed.
Currently, part-time Reserve Force Veterans in receipt of the Earnings Loss Benefit are eligible for an annual EL Benefit of $24,300. Through changes aimed at ensuring respect for reservists, beginning in April 2015, all Veterans of the Reserve Force eligible for the EL Benefit will be ensured a minimum annual income of $42,426, which is the current EL Benefit of a basic corporal in the Regular Force. This is a big step forward for those who need it the most, and responds to concerns raised by the Veterans Ombudsman and the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs regarding fair treatment of Canada’s reservists.
Survivors of part-time Reserve Force Veterans who lose their lives as a result of service will also benefit from this change.
Quick Facts
The EL Benefit is a taxable monthly benefit that ensures Veterans’ total income will be at least 75% of their pre-release military salary while they are participating in rehabilitation or unable to be suitably employed.
Quotes
“Today, we are recognizing the critical role played by the men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves. Reservists served with distinction in Afghanistan and when they deploy, they share the same risks in duty that Regular Force members do. Canadians respect the commitment to juggle civilian employment and military service and today, I am ensuring reservists injured in the service to Canada are treated fairly. Our Government will extend the Earnings Loss Benefit to our Reserve Force Veterans to help the Veterans and their families recover from their injury and make a successful transition to civilian life. I want to thank the Ombudsman and other stakeholders for their work advancing this issue and supporting our CAF Reserves.”
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs
“The sacrifices of our Veterans, who have exemplified the highest ideals of duty, courage and loyalty, must never fade. Canada must honour Veterans as they have honoured this country. Today’s announcement provides Canadian Armed Forces reservists and their families the confidence that our Government will provide the compassion, respect, and support they need and deserve.”
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
“I am pleased that another gap in the New Veterans Charter is about to be closed. Reservists are an important component of our national security and play a critical role in sustaining the Canadian Armed Forces. Since becoming Veterans Ombudsman, I have been advocating for the One Veteran theme so that all Veterans are treated fairly for service-related injuries/illness and death, regardless of when and where they served. Today, we are moving one step closer to that reality and I commend the Minister of Veterans Affairs for this change.”
Guy Parent, Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman
Veterans Affairs Canada is committed to ensuring Veterans are treated with the care, compassion and respect they deserve. Veterans and their families are at the center of everything we do. #Veterancentric
Associated Links
Backgrounder: Earnings Loss Benefit increases for part-time Reserve Force Veterans
Backgrounder: Retirement Income Security Benefit
Mental Health enhancements
Disability Benefits
– 30 –
Contacts
Martin Magnan
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Veterans of Affairs
613-996-4649
Media Relations
Veterans Affairs Canada
613-992-7468
March 13, 2015 – Halifax – Veterans Affairs Canada
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs, and the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced part-time Reserve Force Veterans will have the support they deserve, honouring a pledge made by the Government of Canada. The ministers were joined by Member of Parliament Scott Armstrong and the Veterans Ombudsman, Guy Parent.
Today’s announcement focused on the Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) Earnings Loss (EL) Benefit, which provides income support for Veterans with service-related injuries while they are participating in VAC’s Rehabilitation Program or who are unable to be suitably employed.
Currently, part-time Reserve Force Veterans in receipt of the Earnings Loss Benefit are eligible for an annual EL Benefit of $24,300. Through changes aimed at ensuring respect for reservists, beginning in April 2015, all Veterans of the Reserve Force eligible for the EL Benefit will be ensured a minimum annual income of $42,426, which is the current EL Benefit of a basic corporal in the Regular Force. This is a big step forward for those who need it the most, and responds to concerns raised by the Veterans Ombudsman and the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs regarding fair treatment of Canada’s reservists.
Survivors of part-time Reserve Force Veterans who lose their lives as a result of service will also benefit from this change.
Quick Facts
The EL Benefit is a taxable monthly benefit that ensures Veterans’ total income will be at least 75% of their pre-release military salary while they are participating in rehabilitation or unable to be suitably employed.
Quotes
“Today, we are recognizing the critical role played by the men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves. Reservists served with distinction in Afghanistan and when they deploy, they share the same risks in duty that Regular Force members do. Canadians respect the commitment to juggle civilian employment and military service and today, I am ensuring reservists injured in the service to Canada are treated fairly. Our Government will extend the Earnings Loss Benefit to our Reserve Force Veterans to help the Veterans and their families recover from their injury and make a successful transition to civilian life. I want to thank the Ombudsman and other stakeholders for their work advancing this issue and supporting our CAF Reserves.”
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs
“The sacrifices of our Veterans, who have exemplified the highest ideals of duty, courage and loyalty, must never fade. Canada must honour Veterans as they have honoured this country. Today’s announcement provides Canadian Armed Forces reservists and their families the confidence that our Government will provide the compassion, respect, and support they need and deserve.”
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
“I am pleased that another gap in the New Veterans Charter is about to be closed. Reservists are an important component of our national security and play a critical role in sustaining the Canadian Armed Forces. Since becoming Veterans Ombudsman, I have been advocating for the One Veteran theme so that all Veterans are treated fairly for service-related injuries/illness and death, regardless of when and where they served. Today, we are moving one step closer to that reality and I commend the Minister of Veterans Affairs for this change.”
Guy Parent, Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman
Veterans Affairs Canada is committed to ensuring Veterans are treated with the care, compassion and respect they deserve. Veterans and their families are at the center of everything we do. #Veterancentric
Associated Links
Backgrounder: Earnings Loss Benefit increases for part-time Reserve Force Veterans
Backgrounder: Retirement Income Security Benefit
Mental Health enhancements
Disability Benefits
– 30 –
Contacts
Martin Magnan
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Veterans of Affairs
613-996-4649
Media Relations
Veterans Affairs Canada
613-992-7468
walleyes
Crew Member
Government of Canada announces new benefits and services for Veterans and families
Improvements respond to recommendations from Standing Committee, Veterans and stakeholders
March 17, 2015 – Vancouver – Veterans Affairs Canada
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs, today unveiled two new initiatives to improve benefits and services for Canada’s Veterans and their families. He announced a plan to enhance support for seriously injured Veterans by ensuring more Veterans will be eligible for a key monthly financial benefit under the New Veterans Charter (NVC). As well, the Minister announced a proposed new support that recognizes the vital role played by informal caregivers of our most seriously injured Veterans, which often includes their families. Minister O’Toole was joined by Veterans’ groups and members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The first part of today’s announcement focused on enhancing the Permanent Impairment Allowance (PIA) by expanding its eligibility. It provides life-long monthly financial support to Veterans whose employment potential and career advancement opportunities have been limited by a permanent service-related injury or illness. The change will expand the number of Veterans eligible for the PIA, by being less restrictive about the requirements relating to their ability to independently carry out most daily activities.
Minister O’Toole also announced a proposed new Family Caregiver Relief Benefit that would recognize the vital contribution of informal caregivers—who are most often family members—to the health and well-being of seriously injured Veterans. The proposed new Family Caregiver Relief Benefit would provide eligible Veterans with an annual tax-free grant of $7,238, allowing their informal caregivers to take a well-deserved break while ensuring the Veterans continue to get the support they need.
At the announcement, Minister O’Toole reconfirmed the Government of Canada’s commitment to ensuring Veterans and their families have the support and services they need. This included initiatives over the past several months such as:
the introduction of a proposed Retirement Income Security Benefit that would ensure that an eligible Veteran’s total annual income is at least 70% of what he or she received in financial benefits from VAC before age 65;
proposed increases to the Earnings Loss Benefit for part-time Reserve Force Veterans;
investments in new and expanded mental health initiatives for Veterans, serving military members, and their families, including a Veteran-specific Mental Health First Aid training program;
a new Halifax operational stress injury clinic, with 9 satellite clinics across the country, including a permanent satellite in Hamilton;
a four-year pilot project to expand access to the military family resource centres for medically releasing Veterans and their families;
a new research project to examine the challenges and opportunities for families living with Veterans with operational stress injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder; and
a new mental health action plan to further improve the continuum of mental health supports and services provided to Veterans and their families.
The Government of Canada will continue to ensure that Canadian Veterans and their families have the support they need, and are treated with care, compassion and respect.
Quick Facts
Introduced in 2006 and expanded in 2011, the Permanent Impairment Allowance (PIA) and supplement (PIAS) together provide support ranging from $600 to $2,800 a month in taxable income.
By 2019-2020, approximately 300 additional Veterans who have made a tremendous sacrifice in service to Canada are expected to receive the Permanent Impairment Allowance.
It is estimated that by 2020, approximately 261 Veterans and survivors would receive the Retirement Income Security Benefit upon turning 65. The vast majority of modern Veterans are 34 years old. Therefore hundreds of additional Veterans will benefit from this improvement in the future.
While part of today’s announcement responds to recommendations made by the Veterans Ombudsman and the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, the new Family Caregiver Relief Benefit is an entirely new proposal.
Quote
“The Harper Government continues to make real changes in the lives of those who need it most. Today’s announcement responds directly to what the Parliamentary Committee, stakeholders, and Veterans themselves have been telling us they and their families need. This is another example of how our Government is taking action to help those who gave so much on our behalf.”
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs
Associated Links
Backgrounder – Retirement Security Income Benefit
Backgrounder – Respect for reservists
Backgrounder – Expansion of Permanent Impairment Allowance eligibility
Backgrounder – Family Caregiver Relief Benefit
Mental Health Services for Veterans
Veterans Affairs Canada is committed to ensuring Veterans are treated with the care, compassion and respect they deserve. Veterans and their families are at the centre of everything we do. #Veterancentric
– 30 –
Contacts
Martin Magnan
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
613-996-4649
Media Relations
Veterans Affairs Canada
613-992-7468
Improvements respond to recommendations from Standing Committee, Veterans and stakeholders
March 17, 2015 – Vancouver – Veterans Affairs Canada
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs, today unveiled two new initiatives to improve benefits and services for Canada’s Veterans and their families. He announced a plan to enhance support for seriously injured Veterans by ensuring more Veterans will be eligible for a key monthly financial benefit under the New Veterans Charter (NVC). As well, the Minister announced a proposed new support that recognizes the vital role played by informal caregivers of our most seriously injured Veterans, which often includes their families. Minister O’Toole was joined by Veterans’ groups and members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The first part of today’s announcement focused on enhancing the Permanent Impairment Allowance (PIA) by expanding its eligibility. It provides life-long monthly financial support to Veterans whose employment potential and career advancement opportunities have been limited by a permanent service-related injury or illness. The change will expand the number of Veterans eligible for the PIA, by being less restrictive about the requirements relating to their ability to independently carry out most daily activities.
Minister O’Toole also announced a proposed new Family Caregiver Relief Benefit that would recognize the vital contribution of informal caregivers—who are most often family members—to the health and well-being of seriously injured Veterans. The proposed new Family Caregiver Relief Benefit would provide eligible Veterans with an annual tax-free grant of $7,238, allowing their informal caregivers to take a well-deserved break while ensuring the Veterans continue to get the support they need.
At the announcement, Minister O’Toole reconfirmed the Government of Canada’s commitment to ensuring Veterans and their families have the support and services they need. This included initiatives over the past several months such as:
the introduction of a proposed Retirement Income Security Benefit that would ensure that an eligible Veteran’s total annual income is at least 70% of what he or she received in financial benefits from VAC before age 65;
proposed increases to the Earnings Loss Benefit for part-time Reserve Force Veterans;
investments in new and expanded mental health initiatives for Veterans, serving military members, and their families, including a Veteran-specific Mental Health First Aid training program;
a new Halifax operational stress injury clinic, with 9 satellite clinics across the country, including a permanent satellite in Hamilton;
a four-year pilot project to expand access to the military family resource centres for medically releasing Veterans and their families;
a new research project to examine the challenges and opportunities for families living with Veterans with operational stress injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder; and
a new mental health action plan to further improve the continuum of mental health supports and services provided to Veterans and their families.
The Government of Canada will continue to ensure that Canadian Veterans and their families have the support they need, and are treated with care, compassion and respect.
Quick Facts
Introduced in 2006 and expanded in 2011, the Permanent Impairment Allowance (PIA) and supplement (PIAS) together provide support ranging from $600 to $2,800 a month in taxable income.
By 2019-2020, approximately 300 additional Veterans who have made a tremendous sacrifice in service to Canada are expected to receive the Permanent Impairment Allowance.
It is estimated that by 2020, approximately 261 Veterans and survivors would receive the Retirement Income Security Benefit upon turning 65. The vast majority of modern Veterans are 34 years old. Therefore hundreds of additional Veterans will benefit from this improvement in the future.
While part of today’s announcement responds to recommendations made by the Veterans Ombudsman and the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, the new Family Caregiver Relief Benefit is an entirely new proposal.
Quote
“The Harper Government continues to make real changes in the lives of those who need it most. Today’s announcement responds directly to what the Parliamentary Committee, stakeholders, and Veterans themselves have been telling us they and their families need. This is another example of how our Government is taking action to help those who gave so much on our behalf.”
The Honourable Erin O’Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs
Associated Links
Backgrounder – Retirement Security Income Benefit
Backgrounder – Respect for reservists
Backgrounder – Expansion of Permanent Impairment Allowance eligibility
Backgrounder – Family Caregiver Relief Benefit
Mental Health Services for Veterans
Veterans Affairs Canada is committed to ensuring Veterans are treated with the care, compassion and respect they deserve. Veterans and their families are at the centre of everything we do. #Veterancentric
– 30 –
Contacts
Martin Magnan
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
613-996-4649
Media Relations
Veterans Affairs Canada
613-992-7468
GLG
Well-Known Member
Ok so I did a little research.....
You can stand down these are not threats to Canada.
Don't be afraid of a website that no one has every heard of and has links to other websites and organizations that also no one has heard of. They are no threat to social well being or your children. The far right has it covered with vast amounts of money and skilled teams of "communications professionals" to keep us safe. They just need to poke another hole in the ground and have money flow to protect us.
Think things thru.... we are social creature and we organize teams to complete tasks that no one person can do. Health care is a socialist idea. Do you find that to be a threat? Building public roads is a socialist idea... is that a threat? It's not black and white with one idea over another. It's more of a blend of ideas for the good of all. That's what made Canada one of the best countries to live in. I'm a capitalist and consider my self closer to a red Tory. I take conservation very seriously as most conservatives from the old days do. Hell I voted for Preston back in the day. I don't recognize the current government with the values I grew up with. What happened to open government? What happened to ethics from our leader? Why have we one scandal after another every month in Ottawa? Could it be that there is far to much money influencing the decisions and ideology, without data to prove it, running the show.
Like I said,,,,, stand down your safe from the red threat.
GLG
Well-Known Member
Thank you for your service. You have my respect.
Clint r
Well-Known Member
No argument here that these programs are meant to benefit veterans. Would like to point out though that an election is coming up and these programs are a direct result of Harpers backpedaling. Dig back a little farther and check out what he took away from vets before public outcry forced his hand.
walleyes
Crew Member
On these things we most certainly agree but like I said the alternative is far and away worse.
I as well would like to thank you for your service Clint r. People like you are the pride of this country.
And yes it may have taken public outcry to reform some policy,, but isn't that what this is all about, when we are not happy me make changes or ensure our elected officials make those changes.
Happy Easter to you all, I am headed home after a 3 week hitch looking forward to my family..
I hear quite a bit of fear in your post, Walleyes. Personally, I think we have way more to worry about than some "Marxist Essay". It's interesting and enlightening that this is where you have decided to focus your fears.
It actually astonishes me that we have such sociopathic mean-spirited individuals running this country making decisions that rewards them and their stock portfolios. The capitalist system and so-called "free" market trade is NOT a form of governance, Walleyes - and those societies that have practiced some form of so-termed (by the extreme right) "socialist" governance systems based on consensus-based models are the ones still functioning thousands of years later where other top-down dictatorships (either left or right) have failed. I don't need to point out those failed models to most people on this forum - but somehow the extreme right either lacks this knowledge or pretends it doesn't exist. The Constitution of the United States would be a "socialist" governance model by this fear-based tarring: "we the people" is a "socialist" term by the far right definition which you have so aptly demonstrated.
Instead - it is actually a "Declaration of Independence" - all about sustaining "freedoms": freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and right to petition. Numerous wars have been initiated in order to preserve these freedoms, and many young people have surrendered their lives to protect these freedoms.
In our own country - I acknowledge these sacrifices, and I feel that by subverting these freedoms through things like omnibus bills - the Harper regime has literally pissed on the veteran's graves. You have heard from Clint on this already. In my own family - there are quite a few past and currently serving members. I am not uninformed on things like lack of support and whittling away pensions for our veterans in order to claw back money.
Very much agreed CDNA.
I am likewise ashamed but also very angry about these injustices, Clint.
The "alternatives"? Like freedom and truth and democracy?
Good luck campaigning for your Conservative candidate, Walleyes. I am sure Alberta will be splendid in it's Conservative isolation after this impending election - along with the debt from lack of foresight on oil-based revenues.
Last edited by a moderator:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pau...ative-economic-plan-ahead-of-budget-1.3020162
Paul Martin blasts Conservative economic plan ahead of budget
Former prime minister calls past decade's approach 'an absolute disgrace'
By Evan Solomon, CBC News Posted: Apr 04, 2015 7:00 AM ET| Last Updated: Apr 04, 2015 2:45 PM ET
Paul Martin calls Conservative economic plan 'an absolute disgrace' 1:33
Finance Minister Joe Oliver announces the day for the Federal Budget to be delivered 1:10
Photo of Evan Solomon
Evan Solomon
Power and Politics
Evan Solomon is the host of CBC News Network's "Power & Politics" as well as of CBC Radio One's "The House." He is a two-time Gemini Award-winning journalist.
Related Stories
■Listen to CBC Radio's The House
■At Issue: Who will benefit most from the new budget?
■Paul Martin and Tom Mulcair take aim at the government's economic agenda
■Federal budget 2015: Joe Oliver finally sets April 21 date
■Harper reincarnates family allowance with universal child-care benefit
■Read more CBC News coverage of the 2015 federal budget
Dismissing the Conservative economic plan as "an absolute disgrace" and "nonsensical," former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin has leapt into the debate over Finance Minister Joe Oliver's newly announced April 21 budget. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-budget-2015-joe-oliver-finally-sets-april-21-date-1.3019022
In an interview on CBC Radio's The House, Martin told host Evan Solomon Canada is facing a "very serious" economic situation and he accused the government of doing nothing about it.
"[The government] is not doing the right things now and we have not been doing the right things for the last decade," Martin said.
■Listen to CBC Radio's The House
■Federal budget: Oliver finally sets April 21 date
■Ballot Box question: Is a balanced budget important?
Taking a cue from Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz, who suddenly cut Canada's key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 0.75 per cent and said recently the first quarter results in Canada will be "atrocious," Martin called on Joe Oliver to kick start a fiscal stimulus program.
"Fiscal policy and monetary policy have to work hand in hand, they cannot contradict each other," Martin said. "If the governor of the central bank is talking about the need for monetary stimulus, he also understands there has to be changes made in the [fiscal policy] and those changes have to be investments."
Paul Martin and Tom Mulcair take aim at the government's economic agenda18:16
The former PM and Liberal finance minister argues the government should be investing in infrastructure for cities, education and what he calls "discovery research" instead of focusing so steadily on balancing the books.
"We have cut back substantially on the number of scientists out there working on issues that could be generating the industries of tomorrow."
Oliver has promised to deliver a balanced budget this year, but Martin does not believe that strategy in the long run will create jobs and growth. "If you don't invest in the future," Martin said, "you will be running perpetual deficits."
The federal government has long argued its policies have created 1.2 million "net new jobs" since the 2008 recession and that its $53 billion New Building Canada Plan is sufficient stimulus for cities and municipalities.
The government also points out it has invested $1.5 billion in the Canada First Research Excellence Fund to support scientific research.
The weeks leading up to the new budget are always fraught with criticism from opposition parties. It is however unusual for a former prime minister to come out swinging so hard. Martin claims he doesn't want to engage in partisan politics, but his intervention seems yet another sign the election battle is already underway.
Paul Martin blasts Conservative economic plan ahead of budget
Former prime minister calls past decade's approach 'an absolute disgrace'
By Evan Solomon, CBC News Posted: Apr 04, 2015 7:00 AM ET| Last Updated: Apr 04, 2015 2:45 PM ET
Paul Martin calls Conservative economic plan 'an absolute disgrace' 1:33
Finance Minister Joe Oliver announces the day for the Federal Budget to be delivered 1:10
Photo of Evan Solomon
Evan Solomon
Power and Politics
Evan Solomon is the host of CBC News Network's "Power & Politics" as well as of CBC Radio One's "The House." He is a two-time Gemini Award-winning journalist.
Related Stories
■Listen to CBC Radio's The House
■At Issue: Who will benefit most from the new budget?
■Paul Martin and Tom Mulcair take aim at the government's economic agenda
■Federal budget 2015: Joe Oliver finally sets April 21 date
■Harper reincarnates family allowance with universal child-care benefit
■Read more CBC News coverage of the 2015 federal budget
Dismissing the Conservative economic plan as "an absolute disgrace" and "nonsensical," former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin has leapt into the debate over Finance Minister Joe Oliver's newly announced April 21 budget. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-budget-2015-joe-oliver-finally-sets-april-21-date-1.3019022
In an interview on CBC Radio's The House, Martin told host Evan Solomon Canada is facing a "very serious" economic situation and he accused the government of doing nothing about it.
"[The government] is not doing the right things now and we have not been doing the right things for the last decade," Martin said.
■Listen to CBC Radio's The House
■Federal budget: Oliver finally sets April 21 date
■Ballot Box question: Is a balanced budget important?
Taking a cue from Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz, who suddenly cut Canada's key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 0.75 per cent and said recently the first quarter results in Canada will be "atrocious," Martin called on Joe Oliver to kick start a fiscal stimulus program.
"Fiscal policy and monetary policy have to work hand in hand, they cannot contradict each other," Martin said. "If the governor of the central bank is talking about the need for monetary stimulus, he also understands there has to be changes made in the [fiscal policy] and those changes have to be investments."
Paul Martin and Tom Mulcair take aim at the government's economic agenda18:16
The former PM and Liberal finance minister argues the government should be investing in infrastructure for cities, education and what he calls "discovery research" instead of focusing so steadily on balancing the books.
"We have cut back substantially on the number of scientists out there working on issues that could be generating the industries of tomorrow."
Oliver has promised to deliver a balanced budget this year, but Martin does not believe that strategy in the long run will create jobs and growth. "If you don't invest in the future," Martin said, "you will be running perpetual deficits."
The federal government has long argued its policies have created 1.2 million "net new jobs" since the 2008 recession and that its $53 billion New Building Canada Plan is sufficient stimulus for cities and municipalities.
The government also points out it has invested $1.5 billion in the Canada First Research Excellence Fund to support scientific research.
The weeks leading up to the new budget are always fraught with criticism from opposition parties. It is however unusual for a former prime minister to come out swinging so hard. Martin claims he doesn't want to engage in partisan politics, but his intervention seems yet another sign the election battle is already underway.
walleyes
Crew Member
Are you sure about that or just blowing more of your useless smoke..
Federal Tories lead the Liberals across Canada, including in Ontario: poll
Republish Reprint
Emily McWilliams, National Post | January 15, 2015 8:19 PM ET
More from National Post
Were an election held today, Harper would win, new polls say.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
A new Ipsos Reid poll puts Stephen Harper’s Conservatives ahead of Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, including in vote-rich Ontario.
If the federal election were held today, 35% of voters would vote Tory, according to the latest Ipsos Reid poll. With new boundaries coming in 70 ridings, the Conservatives are closer to a majority government with that 35% than ever before, said Ipsos Reid’s John Wright.
“If you took the 2011 numbers and applied them to the new riding situation immediately — without having a campaign or anything — the Conservatives already gain 22 extra seats as a result of that,” Mr. Wright said.
The Liberals have fallen three points since December, to 31%. Thomas Mulcair and the NDP remain steady at 24%, down seven points since the 2011 federal election.
The increased support for the Conservative party could be reflective of the shaky economy as the price of oil continues to drop, Mr. Wright said, and Mr. Harper could also be benefiting from a vocal stance against terrorism.
“Two key planks that always emerge as a strong suit for the Conservatives over the other two parties are always the economy and national security,” Mr. Wright said.
Mr. Harper’s approval rating is at 49% – the highest since March 2012 — according to Iposos’ polling from the last quarter of 2014.
The Conservatives have also surged past the Liberals with 41% support in seat-rich Ontario. The Liberals are at 34%, down three points. “The Liberals are not doing as well in Ontario, and Ontario really is the key to this,” Mr. Wright said.
The poll found that the Bloc Québécois had 25% support in Quebec. Elizabeth May and the Green Party remained at 4% nationally.
One in five Canadians are still undecided.
Mr. Harper said in year-end television interviews that he remains committed to the Oct. 19 vote prescribed by the fixed-date election law but some believe he may still favour a spring election, before Mike Duffy goes on trial on bribery, breach of trust and fraud charges related to his time as a Conservative senator.
There are 30 new ridings at play. To date, no party has nominated a full slate of candidates, including the Conservatives.
The poll was conducted between Jan. 6 and 11, 2015, with a sample composition reflective of the adult population according to Census data. The poll is accurate within +/- 2.6 percentage points.
National Post, with files from Postmedia News
- Status