Getting Things Done: Focusing Government Spending

September 26, 2006

“The Tories have kept their promise to find savings.”  Ottawa takes small knife to bloated spending – Globe & Mail Editorial (G&M, 09-27-06)

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and President of the Treasury Board John Baird yesterday announced that Canada’s New Government has kept a key promise to Canadian families and taxpayers by reducing government spending, eliminating wasteful and ineffective government programs and paying down the national debt.

Canada’s New Government has identified $1 billion in savings in four areas:

• Value for Money – eliminating programs that do not achieve results;
• Unused funds –eliminating programs that have already achieved their objectives or had lower than expected take-up.
• Efficiency – reducing costs by streamlining programs;
• Non-core programs – eliminating programs that do not serve the priorities of Canadians.

The savings identified in these four areas has allowed Canada’s New Government to responsibly fund effective programs that match the priorities of families and taxpayers including tax relief, child care and safer streets.

In addition to trimming the fat from government spending, Canada’s New Government yesterday announced that the $13.2 billion surplus from 2005-06 would be used to pay down Canada’s national debt.

Unlike previous Liberal governments, who would over-tax hard-working Canadians and then spend furiously to satisfy special interests and insiders, Canada’s New Government is focusing spending on the priorities of families and taxpayers.