[Advisors] Is there a potential for budget surprise?

[Lynda Rickard]

Our board chair has just received an answer to our letter, which indicates
that Minister Paradis is unable to meet with us, but invites us to set up a
meeting with one of his Policy Advisors.

Lynda Rickard, Executive Director
Technology Alliance Group for Kawartha Lakes
50 Mary St. W., (front)
LINDSAY, ON    K9V 2N6
(705) 878-9261
(800) 407-6419
Focused on Helping People

-----Original Message-----
From: advisors-admin@tc.ca [mailto:advisors-admin@tc.ca] On Behalf Of Marita
Moll
Sent: March-26-12 6:45 PM
To: Advisors
Subject: Re: [Advisors] Is there a potential for budget surprise?

Thanks for this shot of optimism.  It is much appreciated in the current
climate of gloom around the budget.  It would take some stars to align for
this to come out in our favour.  But maybe our strange meeting with the
InCan policy advisor back in early December, which would have been prime
budget brainstorming time, set some wheels in motion, aligning CAP with some
of the community commitments they made in 2011.

Well, we've still got a couple of days to dream.......

Marita

At 04:48 PM 26/03/2012, Garth Graham wrote:
>Here's some food for thought on the target of digital inclusion 
>strategy.  I know that common sense and conventional wisdom says that 
>social programs are headed for merciless budget slashing, . but!
>
> > Budget cuts are about growth not austerity,
> Conservatives say.  SHAWN MCCARTHY. OTTAWA-
>  From Monday's Globe and Mail, March 26/12:
>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/budget-cuts-are-about-grow
>th-not-austerity-conservatives-say/article2380988/
>
>This article predicts that the "themes" of the upcoming Federal Budget 
>will be as follows:
> > The government will lay out five broad themes
> in the budget: support for innovation and research; overhauling 
> regulation for resource development; investing in training and 
> opportunity; support for families and communities; and ensuring the 
> long-term sustainability of major social programs like Old Age 
> Security.
>
>
>I would note that three of the themes - support for innovation and 
>research; investing in training and opportunity; and support for 
>families and communities are exactly the same as some of the themes 
>shaping the pre-election "BUDGET PLAN," released JUNE 6, 2011.
>
>Assuming that they haven't changed their political and policy thinking 
>on those particular themes all that much in less than a very busy year, 
>below is what I flagged as significant for TC/CAP in the previous and 
>unapproved June 2011 budget.
>
> > From: Garth Graham <garth.graham@telus.net>
> > Subject: [Advisors] Budget surprise
> > Date: 22 March, 2011 2:28:07 PM PDT
> > To: TC Advisors <advisors@tc.ca>
> >
> > CAP LIVES!
> >
> > Take a look at Budget 2011. The Next Phase of
> Canada's Economic Action Plan: A Low-Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth. 
> Tabled in the House of Commons By the Honourable James M. Flaherty, 
> P.C., M.P. Minister of Finance. March 22, 2011 352 pages.
> > http://www.budget.gc.ca/2011/plan/toc-tdm-eng.html
> >
> > In Chapter 4.3, Investing in Innovation,
> Education and Training, on page 141, it says:
> >
> > "The Government is also renewing the
> Community Access Program for an additional year."
> >
> > This chapter announces specific programs,
> with hundreds of millions of dollars attached, under the heading of 
> the digital economy strategy.  The CAP reference has no dollars 
> attached, and it sort of looks like it hung in there as an 
> afterthought.  But there it is!
> >
> >
> > Then in Chapter 4.2, Supporting Families and
> Communities, in a section headed, "Supporting Social Partnerships," 
> there's a statement that might be worth a follow up ... because of the 
> potential to squeeze in something under our "digital inclusion" 
> heading.  Again, there's no dollars attached, but it says:
> >
> > "Some groups, such as the homeless, persistently unemployed, and 
> > at-risk youth, face complex and continual social challenges and 
> > often the best solutions to tackling these difficult
> problems are found locally. All across
> > Canada, citizens, businesses, charities and
> other groups, such as the Canadian
> > Task Force on Social Finance, are working together to develop 
> > innovative ways to address local challenges."
> >
> > "The Government will take steps to complement community efforts by 
> > encouraging the development of government/community partnerships, 
> > enabling communities to tackle local challenges and testing new 
> > approaches to improve performance. Details will be announced by the 
> > Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development over the coming
months." p.122.
>
>If the content of those themes remains similar in the upcoming budget 
>then a window of opportunity may be there to argue for program support 
>in the zone of community/private partnerships and "social enterprise."
>
>GG
>
>
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