Wednesday, November 19, 2008 5:23 PM
Grading the Throne Speech
asteele
A big A+ to the government for moving aggressively to develop a common regulator, a good step in restoring confidence in financial markets.
Kudos to the Harper Conservatives for putting this long-neglected file on the front-burner.
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It's a modest relief that the government will not cling to balanced budgets like Herbert Hoover did in 1932, but instead consider running temporary deficits.
It's also good that it has committed to those deficits being temporary.
I'll give the Tories a B for that. A stronger position would have been to commit to running operating surpluses, or another such line that spending would not cross.
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Has there been a Throne Speech since 1867 that didn't pledge to reduce trade barriers between the provinces?
And here it is this year: "Our Government will work with the provinces to remove barriers to internal trade, investment and labour mobility by 2010."
A dull and meaningless C to the government for that one.
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I'm not thrilled with this line: "Our Government is also committed to responsible fiscal management of public sector compensation, and will table legislation to ensure sustainable compensation growth in the federal Public Service."
Opening up collective agreements through legislation is a page taken from the Mike Harris playbook. A grade of D there.
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Finally, the speech seems to recommit the Harper government to legislation that would penalize Ontario in representation in the House of Commons. It's possible that it will amend the legislation introduced last session to recognize Ontario's claim, but there is no signal in the speech that this is what the Conservatives intend.
Ontario has already passed a unanimous resolution in the Legislature opposing the redistribution plan as it stands.
A grade of F if they try to go ahead with this again.
