[Advisors] Is there a potential for budget surprise?

[Marita Moll]

Oh! Well that's positive.  Are you going to do that?

Marita

At 10:20 AM 27/03/2012, you wrote:
>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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>
>
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