In all of those photo opportunities we looked at in yesterday’s post must have been announcements of spending for things that people actually need, right? New spending on the important programs and infrastructure that support the economy and citizens.
Not so fast. This government has a stellar record in announcing and re-announcing the same money, which sometimes has a disturbing tendency to shrink from one announcement to another, all the while sounding like our needs are just about to be met. This isn’t a trick unique to the outgoing government, as the Liberals did that before them, but this outgoing government seems to have perfected the practice, even carefully wording their announcements to avoid directly saying that it was new money and studiously avoiding any questions about that.
The true measure of that announcing without spending tactic came out in the campaign around the time the Prime Minister was vaunting a “surprise” surplus for last year…accounted for more than four times over by the money that was budgeted to be spent and failed to make it out the door. While it might be a clever communications strategy, it certainly isn’t good government.
Further reading here, here and here.
Our cash announcement
of yesterday is not spent
We announce anew!
of yesterday is not spent
We announce anew!
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