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Our only refuge from Martin is stronger provinces

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    Our only refuge from Martin is stronger provinces

    Weekly Note to Supporters of the Citizens Centre
    from Link Byfield

    February 9, 2004

    TITLE: Our only refuge from Martin is stronger provinces

    In national politics, last week was bad.

    The Fraser Institute reported that overall taxes have increased, because of Ottawa's hike last year in Canada Pension Plan premiums. The average Canadian family earned $58,782 in 2003, and paid 47% of it ($27,640) to government.

    Speaking of which, all of Prime Minister Paul Martin's recent rhetoric about cutting taxes was strikingly absent last week from his pre-election throne speech. The government's plan is about spending, not cutting.

    Compare the 47% we now pay governments to the 33.5% we paid in 1961. Mind you, back then we didn't have such an abundance of essential federal programs, such as Official Languages.

    Speaking of which, Official Languages Commissioner Dyane Adam decided last week to investigate hockey pundit Don Cherry. Face masks, the entertaining Cherry declared crushingly on Coach's Corner on January 24, are just for "Europeans and French guys."

    Before anyone complained to her and despite her lack of any real mandate to do it, Adam was investigating this possible "racism." How nice that when governments commandeer half our income they spend it so wisely.

    Speaking of value for money, Martin's government has decided to reinvent yet another Canadian version of the old U.S. Peace Corps. The 1960s American prototype gave left-wing college kids experience abroad radicalizing poor nations while hiring dirt-cheap local servants to clean their houses. The Americans got rid of theirs long ago. We keep bringing ours back. This is our third, and will be called the Canada Corps.

    Apparently the minister responsible for the Canada Corps, Bill Graham, hadn't actually been told what it was for. It was stuck into the throne speech at the last minute by the prime minister.

    Speaking of impulsive autocratic leadership, all Martin's talk about solving the "democratic deficit" and restoring the power of Parliament is fading rapidly.

    We learned last week that government MPs will be allowed to vote against the cabinet only when the prime minister allows them to, same as under Jean Chretien.

    We also learned that Parliament will probably not be allowed to scrutinize Supreme Court appointments, as Martin promised during his leadership campaign. Because the Charter of Rights allows judges routinely to make political policy decisions from the bench, Martin earlier thought elected people should have some say in choosing them.

    But that was way back in November. Apparently he no longer thinks so.

    Speaking of which, the 1,100 judges Ottawa appoints to rule us are demanding a 17% raise, to take them above $250,000 a year. The government is resisting, but because a pay increase to judges automatically benefits federal politicians and senior bureaucrats, the government may not fight all that hard.

    The judges' wage negotiator says his clients deserve more, because they suffer stress making so many political policy decisions from the bench. He cited for example the question of gay marriage, which the Martin government wants settled in court rather than in Parliament.

    Speaking of which, the Liberals have now delayed their legal reference on homosexual marriage until after the next election is over. They don't want it to be an election issue.

    Speaking of which, two election issues the Liberals do intend to run on are a renewed commitment to the Kyoto attack on the oil industry, and Martin's personal commitment to gun control.

    And did I mention that the Liberals were holding 49% support in the January public opinion polls, 20 points ahead of the reunited Conservatives?

    All of which points to one conclusion.

    Ottawa will not be improved by Paul Martin. It will get worse.

    Parliament is a lost cause. Our only protection from this Juggernaut of reckless misrule lies with our provincial governments.

    Unfortunately, our provincial governments have so far proven too lazy, complicit, naive and inept to fight anyone.

    But that's our fault. Provincially we have the power to resist Ottawa. And we had better start using it.

    - Link Byfield

    Link Byfield is chairman of the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy

    Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy
    Suite 203, 10441 - 178 Street
    Edmonton, AB T5S 1R5
    Phone: 780-481-7844
    Toll Free: 1-866-666-6768
    Fax: 780-481-9983
    contact@citizenscentre.com

    www.citizenscentre.com
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