Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

The quiet cuts

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, October 14, 2011 6:35pm - 18 Comments

Veterans Affairs is planning to trim its budget by $226 million.

Environment Canada has cancelled a $547,000 per year agreement with the Canadian Environmental Network.

And a subscription to a leading journal on criminology and justice policy has not been renewed.

Tags: Canadian Environmental Network, climate change, Crime, environment, justice, quiet cuts, veterans, veterans affairs, war veterans

More by Aaron Wherry

Anonymous

I wish they’d stop fussing about the petty cash and the coffee fund and do something real….like cancelling the fighterplanes.

Anonymous

Technically, it wouldn’t be “cancelling” the F-35s. Unless I’m mistaken, we STILL haven’t signed a contract for them yet. It’s part of the reason that no one should take the government’s cost estimates on the purchase too seriously, ’cause they keep telling us what the F-35s are going to cost, without any certainty that Lockheed Martin would actually agree to sell them to us at that price.

Anonymous

I believe there is an MOU….however, a simple announcment we aren’t purchasing any aircraft would do.

Anonymous

I apologize if this posts a dozen times…problems with the browser.

But in case I am not repeating myself I do find myself torn on this…I applaud the gov’t in addressing our deficit by going through with departmental cuts…especially at Veterans…which will not be politically popular.

But the RCEN bugs me…not because they have cut a relative pittance from a ‘green’ org but that Environment Canada initially approved the funding and suddenly now are cutting it. Instead of giving RCEN that time to restructure its financial plan they are now forced to lay people off….kinda of a dick move if you ask me…

As for the journal, Ontario will pick up the slack but it does lend to the optics that the Tories have no time for anyone who dissents with their worldview.
Anonymous

I apologize if this posts a dozen times…problems with the browser.

But in case I am not repeating myself I do find myself torn on this…I applaud the gov’t in addressing our deficit by going through with departmental cuts…especially at Veterans…which will not be politically popular.

But the RCEN bugs me…not because they have cut a relative pittance from a ‘green’ org but that Environment Canada initially approved the funding and suddenly now are cutting it. Instead of giving RCEN that time to restructure its financial plan they are now forced to lay people off….kinda of a dick move if you ask me…

As for the journal, Ontario will pick up the slack but it does lend to the optics that the Tories have no time for anyone who dissents with their worldview.

http://labradore.blogspot.com Leroy_Mouchelette

Dick move? Don’t the CPC have that patented?
Anonymous

I saw Peter Kent before the Senate Committee and he described the cuts at Environment to be the kindest and gentlest ones he has ever seen. I believe his words were – ‘nobody will be on the street’.

kcm2

POST SCRIPT: I called the federal department of justice to ask why it refused to renew the Centre for Criminology’s funding. A spokesperson responded: The application “was not rejected by Justice Canada. Rather, it is our understanding that the Centre secured funding from the Government of Ontario.”That sound you hear is George Orwell groaning in his grave.

This was amusing and sad. Really it is about time someone put together a comprehensive list of what these clowns have or intend to cut. I’d imagine it would have a very idealogical and typically petty look about it.That may difficult since promising funding and changing their minds with little or no notice or simply ignoring pleas for information seems to be the preferred mo for this govt.

http://www.ctf-fce.ca/Newsroom/news.aspx?NewsID=1983984712&lang=EN

Here’s my favourite so far. A bloody volunteer programme that had been running for 50years…vandals…
kcm2

POST SCRIPT: I called the federal department of justice to ask why it refused to renew the Centre for Criminology’s funding. A spokesperson responded: The application “was not rejected by Justice Canada. Rather, it is our understanding that the Centre secured funding from the Government of Ontario.”That sound you hear is George Orwell groaning in his grave.

This was amusing and sad. Really it is about time someone put together a comprehensive list of what these clowns have or intend to cut. I’d imagine it would have a very idealogical and typically petty look about it.That may difficult since promising funding and changing their minds with little or no notice or simply ignoring pleas for information seems to be the preferred mo for this govt.

http://www.ctf-fce.ca/Newsroom/news.aspx?NewsID=1983984712&lang=EN

Here’s my favourite so far. A bloody volunteer programme that had been running for 50years…vandals…
senorito

This post, minus any context, is meaningless. So stop wasting our time, Mr Wherry, if you please.

http://dougsamu.wordpress.com doug rogers

No context? You haven’t been paying attention.
Anonymous

That comment makes no sense.
craigola13

Mr. Wherry didn’t drag you to this site and force you to read the post, did he?
Anonymous

Then it is a good thing he provided context, isn’t it? Just a hint, it’s the red text. That’s what is called a “hyper link” or “link.” By clicking on it, you are magically transported to the original article, which provides all the context you want.

Anonymous

I’m pretty sure ministries are being run by internet commenters.

Minister: “I don’t know what the CEN does. Let’s cut their funding.”

Deputy Minister: “Here’s their annual report and a list of projects they’ve funded, sir, in case you want to think about this decision before following through.”

Minister: “Pinko commie! Get out of my office with those pesky facts! If I don’t already know what they do, why would I want to learn about them?”

Deputy Minister: …

Minister: “Don’t just stand there looking stupid. Fetch me my copy of Atlas Shrugged.”
Anonymous

I’m pretty sure ministries are being run by internet commenters.

Minister: “I don’t know what the CEN does. Let’s cut their funding.”

Deputy Minister: “Here’s their annual report and a list of projects they’ve funded, sir, in case you want to think about this decision before following through.”

Minister: “Pinko commie! Get out of my office with those pesky facts! If I don’t already know what they do, why would I want to learn about them?”

Deputy Minister: …

Minister: “Don’t just stand there looking stupid. Fetch me my copy of Atlas Shrugged.”
Anonymous

It costs $600K per year to have a two way conversation with every environmental group in Canada, not just the large advocacy groups, and not in press conferences slagging each other, but a respectful dialogue on policy and legislation that includes grassroots volunteers and small organizations involved in local and regional issues dispersed all across the country. That’s a tiny pittance, probably less than what Environment Canada spends on backdrops to introduce the latest new Minister in charge of sounding like he’s doing something.

The only reason to defund the CEN (on a Friday afternoon) is that the government has no interest in constructive engagement with anyone who isn’t already a member of the Conservative party.

Anonymous

It’s been pretty obvious this government has no interest in constructive engagement with anyone, let alone environmental groups. This, in a chicken doo-doo way, makes it official.I just wish Harper had the gonads to be straight up on the environmental file. If he doesn’t believe in global warming and doesn’t intend to make any attempt to reduce emisions, why doesn’t he just say so.