- Omnibus nature of the Bill – This is a 750 clause kitchen sink Budget Bill that amends over 70 different federal acts in an attempt to hide the drastic changes it will have on everything from Canadians’ retirement plans to environmental protection. Liberals have tabled 503 Report Stage amendments and will seek a vote on each of them if the Conservatives don’t separate the environmental, fisheries, pension and employment insurance sections from the Bill.
- Old Age Security – After promising not to cut pensions during the 2011 election Stephen Harper is increasing the qualifying age for Old Age Security from 65 to 67 costing the average retiring Canadian $12,000 and the lowest income Canadians up to $30,000. 40% of OAS recipients earn less than $20,000/year and 53% earn less than $25,000/year. Cutting OAS will hurt Canada’s most vulnerable seniors the hardest. That’s just not right.
- Employment insurance – Without consulting any of the provinces Stephen Harper has unilaterally redefine what constitutes ‘acceptable work’ allowing the government to revoke the EI benefits that workers have paid for. For small communities that rely on seasonal work the consequences could be devastating.
- Fisheries Protection Act – The Conservatives are gutting protection for fish by making it perfectly legal to harmfully alter a fish habitat so long as it does not result in the death of that population. 80 per cent of the 71 freshwater species at risk of extinction will lose their legislated protection as a result of C-38 and four former Fisheries Ministers, including two former Conservatives, have denounced the plan.
- Environment – The Conservatives are turning the clock back on 50 years of progress in developing environmental safeguards by simply eliminating the need for many federal environmental assessments before a major project proceeds.
- National Energy Board – The Conservatives are gutting the well respected National Energy Board by seizing the power for final approval of pipeline projects and setting arbitrary review timelines that may prevent important stakeholders and local citizens from participating in the process.
- Community Access Program – Eliminating funding for internet connections at local libraries will deprive many Canadians, especially in rural Canada, of their only access to a broadband connection. This is especially damaging considering the Conservatives Employment Insurance plan involves sending unemployed Canadians two emails a day detailing job opportunities.
- Parks Canada – The Conservatives are slashing staff at Parks Canada and as a result many of Canada’s most historic sites will be shuttered for good. It is an attack not only on our shared history but also on Canada’s tourism industry which has been struggling since the recession.
- NRTEE – Wedding a growing economy to a healthy environment is perhaps the greatest challenge of the 21st century and The National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy has been at the forefront of meeting that challenge. It is being shut down because Stephen Harper does not like the advice he was receiving on how to build a truly sustainable economy.
- Immigration – Stephen Harper has caused permanent damage to Canada’s international reputation by unilaterally tearing up over 100,000 applications for permanent residency. We are competing for skilled immigrants with virtually every other developed country and these kinds of changes will only make it harder for Canada to attract its share.
- Charities – The Conservatives have begun an unmitigated attack on Canadian charities accusing them of money laundering and being the pawns of foreign radicals. We have seen the attack extend to NGO’s who have often lost funding for supporting positions that don’t adhere to the Conservative’s ideology.
- Oversight mechanisms – If there is one thing Stephen Harper truly hates it is independent oversight of his government. The omnibus budget Bill is being used to disguise the cutting of oversight mechanisms such as the office of the Inspector General at CSIS and the Auditor General’s ability to examine practices at multiple agencies including the Canada Food Inspection Agency and the Northern Pipeline Agency.
- Cuts to science – The Conservatives have a fundamental aversion to the kind of basic research that has lead to some of our greatest innovations. By closing federal labs, and making Granting Counsel funding strictly for research with direct commercial applications, Canada stands to lose some of its best and brightest scientists.
- Aboriginal Health Funding – Despite the fact that Aboriginal suicide rates run as high as 11 times the national average, the Conservatives are cutting the Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy. Similarly, while Aboriginal Canadians are much more likely to suffer from diabetes, have significantly higher infant mortality rates and significantly lower life expectancies, the Conservatives are cutting Aboriginal health programs and national Aboriginal health organizations.
- Health care for refugees – The Conservatives have cut Interim Federal Health Program services. This program provides temporary health care support to refugees, who have fled to Canada to escape often violent persecution, and have no means of accessing services on their own. These cuts will download the cost of providing health care to provinces and territories. It will also lead to untreated health problems and an increase in the use of emergency services, which will drive up health care costs in the future.
- National Council on Welfare – this organization helps provide the government with the evidence it needs to combat poverty. Canadians believe that growing income inequality is the biggest challenge facing Canada. Stephen Harper doesn’t believe it’s a problem, however, and so he is shutting down the council
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