Turner urges Tories to shelve election plank,
focus on middle class tax initiatives,
after listening to over 10,000 voters
TORONTO – After conducting what’s believed to be the largest pre-budget consultation in Canada’s history, Conservative MP Garth Turner is set to recommend the new Harper government shelves at least one of its election promises.
“More than 10,000 voters, mostly middle-class taxpayers, told me they expect real change from the new government,†Turner says, “but they also want changes that do the most good for the greatest number of people. After listening to folks from across the country, I have to agree with them – some of what we suggested is not a good idea. But at the same time, there’s a huge appetite for other reforms, along with an encouragement that this administration do some bold and visionary things.â€
Turner, MP for Halton and a nationally-known personal finance author and broadcaster, received thousands of responses after he asked for input to the first Tory budget, soon to be delivered by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Newspaper columns, internet surveys, blog postings, radio call-in shows, podcasts and Town Hall meetings were used to solicit response for a report Turner plans to deliver to Flaherty, and release to taxpayers, on March 29th.
“The volume of reaction has been overwhelming,†Turner says. “It proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that individual Canadians care about how they are taxed and how their money is spent, and that – increasingly – they think politicians should be involving them instead of cooking up policies in Ottawa. This also proves the political power of the Internet, since I was able to advance budget ideas online, and then get a loud response from people from coast-to-coast. I hope this another small step towards involving average Canadians in the decision-making process.â€
Turner’s 64-page report contains a dozen recommendations, and reviews all aspects of the spending and taxation promises made during the recent election campaign. It also proposes changes overwhelmingly requested by middle class families, as well as addressing issues such as Canada’s nearing retirement crisis, consequences of the current real estate boom, democratic reform and the current culture of entitlement in government. In his research, Turner also interviewed policy analysts, senior economists and finance experts in several provinces.
“During Town Hall meetings, in thousands of emails and every other form of response, I heard the same thing,†the Toronto-area MP says, “voters want into this process, and they’re asking for concrete changes that will benefit middle-class families. I hope Jim Flaherty has an open mind and an appreciation of how much effort this took on the part of so many people.â€
The report will be published online at www.garth.ca on March 29th. Copies will be available in Turner’s Ottawa and Milton offices and to Hill media.
For more information: (905) 693-0166, (613) 996-7046 or (905) 330-8581.
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24 comments ↓
So Garth, how much did your endeavour costs us, the taxpayers? Is the cost a duplication of Flarety’s budget preparation effort?
I’m hoping that the consultants were pro-bono and the production of your report was donated by the printers and staff. I would hate to see that our tax dollars were wasted on this effort when the real finance minister and the finance department were actually preparing the real budget.
Don’t get me wrong I think people sending you emails for your considerations is good and you could present your findings in caucus or to the real finance minister. But to go and put something this formal, I must question your motives and the value added we got for our tax dollars.
There was no additional cost to taxpayers. There was no duplication with minister Flaherty’s process. And you sound like an anti-democratic weasel. — Garth
So Catherine, you have a bowl of cranky or something for breakfast this morning?
Day after day, Garth has been giving us information and soliciting our opinions. He has established a two way communication between his constituents and his government. He is making our voices heard in Ottawa.
What’s your motive, Catherine?
Garth,
Catherine’s attitude kind of scares me like…..a lot. The fact you’ve been putting the effort forth to put together an amalgamation of your constituents opinions for the upcoming budget is an exercise that every MP in Canada should be conducting.
I get the feeling from her post that (and I’m willing to bet dollars to donoughts on it) Catherine’s not really conscerned with how tax dollars are being spent and would be perfectly willing to spend the federal government into bankrupcy. More’s the pity.
Good for you Garth! A lttle money spent now will likely save taxpayers HUGE dollars down the road!
Gratefully yours,
Paul Mitrovich
In Canada the balance between the power of government versus the power of the people has become very lopsided. Previous Liberal governments have essentially been dictatorships dressed up as democracies. This is why some people still feel that an MP speaking his mind is some sort of crime, even when his comments are measured, sensible, intelligent and well-reasoned.
The interesting thing about trends is that not everyone is able to spot a trend until it is upon them.
The Internet will have a major impact on Canadian politics – the signs are already there – and it will help restore the balance of power that is so sorely needed.
Mr. Turner is ahead of the pack…the rest will follow, eventually.
Conservative blogs are brimming with optimism and for good reason.
Thank you Mr. Turner for your hard work and for having the courage to stick your neck out and give us a taste of the future. You are planting seeds, and I look forward to watching them grow.
“So Catherine, you have a bowl of cranky or something for breakfast this morning?”
I suspect it’s Garth’s style not substance that has Catherine annoyed. On a lighter note;
Q) What’s the difference between Pierre and Margaret Trudeau?
A) Margaret only screwed half the country
You can use that one at the riding assoc. speech garth…LOL
Acunuck says “Previous Liberal governments have essentially been dictatorships dressed up as democracies. This is why some people still feel that an MP speaking his mind is some sort of crime, even when his comments are measured, sensible, intelligent and well-reasoned.â€
While our system is outstanding compared to many others, one of its weak points is the almost dictatorial power granted to the PM for his/her term. The quickest way for an MP to get into trouble is to think – to say out loud to the media, how they really feel about things. The safest course of action is to sit meekly in the house, voting exactly as dictated by the PM, even if contrary to the wishes of the MP’s constituents.
“A) Margaret only screwed half the country”
Wow John, do you pick up a lot of ladies with that one? I’ll go out on a limb and say no. Let’s leave the personal life of a dead ex-Prime Minister’s ex-wife out of a discussion about Garth Turner’s pre-budget consultations, whaddya say?
Well Garth, it looks like you’re at it again.
Advocating the government break its promises? Unbelievable.
You want to oppose something your party never said they would do during an election campaign?
Fine, I have no quarrel with that.
But you ought to live up to the proposals and promises you ran on as a Conservative candidate. If you had a problem with those commitments, you should have ran as an independent.
I mean, has the thought ever even entered your head that you had the word “Conservative” written under your name on the ballot, that just maybe that had something to do with the fact that you were elected.
I also have no quarrel with you consulting with your constituents. I applaud you for doing so. But those consultations should be based on matters beyond what you and your party promised the electorate at large during the election campaign.
We just have a very big public consultation just two months ago. It was called a federal election. And the Canadian people chose your party to form the government based on the commitments you all made.
Arguing for the breakingof
promises can mean nothing less than that you have broken your word to the people that elected you, regardless of if some consultation tells you otherwise.
This makes your railing agaiinst the Emerson appoint all the more sanctimonious.
Prime Minister Harper never said he opposed floor crossing as a matter of principle. He never said he would never welcome a Liberal into his caucus. He voted against the ban on floor-crossing.
The point is that as much as you might oppose that move on principle, you could not fairluy accuse the PM of breaking his word.
And now you are issuing press releases urging him to do just that.
Again, unbelievable.
I have to ask Garth, when Finance Minister Flaherty and the PM refuse to break their word to the electorate, are you going to vote against the budget?
Are you going to find your way out of the Tory caucus because, shudder the thought, the government actually keeps its promises.
Again, unbelievable
I
Geez Garth,
You got elected because of the 5 priorities. I don’t get it?
ooooh… Belinduh, Scott, David Orchard & you…now I get it.
i always knew there were big things to come from a focused and energetic man like you garth. i’ll look forward to the report.
Garth, thanks for calling me a weasel. So that’s good that there were no taxpayer dollars used in producing your report (I’m guessing the consultants, staff, and printers donated their time at 0 dollars.)
John G. hit it on the head for me. I like the idea that our elected MPs be available for us to express our concerns. However, I have a problem with an MP being a one man show. Remember there is no “I” in team. The team we elected (albeit a minority) has 5 major promises to put before parliament. From where I sit maybe Garth should resign and run as an independant in a by-election.
For those who will attack me on this – think about folks. Do you want 308 MPs generating 308 seperate formal 70 page budget reports?
Do you want 308 MPs generating 308 seperate formal 70 page budget reports?
I’m sure every MP has a budget to run their office. If 308 have the background and interest to generate 70 page reports, they can feel free as far as I am concerned, as long as they do it within their annual allocations.
Perhaps 1 or 2 out of the 308 will have a couple of good ideas.
But gee, how awful that Garth wants to consult with the people who elected him. My God, the nerve of that guy.
Hi again folks,
This promise breaking nonsense has given me an idea.
In honour of Garth’s recommendation, I’ve stated the “Garth Turner Broken Promise Contest”
The reader who can come closest to predicting what Garth’s broken promise will be will be crowned the winner.
Feel free to drop by my blog at http://langhjelmletter.blogspot.com/2006/03/garth-turner-broken-promise-contest.htm
to enter.
Ed…no one cares that Garth solicited opinions for a report..it’s the trumpeted entrance from Mt Olympus towards the MSM that is wrong. Get it!!
Which current elected Tory has a Masters in Economics and half completed his PHD?
That would be Dr. ? Harper ….
Brandon – who is being the grandstander now? You have added the same post to every blog you can get your little keyboard to…..
Instead of trashing ideas – why not sit tight and see how this all unfolds? As Garth has stated in his previous entries over the past weeks – Mr Flaherty and the PMO have been kept in the loop of these findings. Creating a bit of excitement around feedback from regular Canadians doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.
That’s what I’m doing BG, building excitement.
The PMO already that they will stick to the election commitments, so Garth’s proposal is probably all but dead anyway.
And I have nothing against ideas. I do, however, have a problem with breaking promises.
I disagree with Brandon. I think the Conservatives should break some of their promises. I would recommend we scrap the GST Cut and postpone the childcare allowance until the third budget. Instead how about eliminating personal capital gains taxes, cutting corporate taxes, raising the minimum income tax threshold to $15,000 and a low and middle income tax cut. Those are things that would help stimulate the economy.
I also hope that Garth Turner continues to pressure the government to strengthen property rights. This is one area I disagreed with the Liberals despite voting for them.
Yes, of course you disagree Miles, you’re a Liberal.
I’m sure Garth is winning himself a lot of fans in the Liberal Party.
Garth, while I have nothing against MPs consulting their constituents(far from it, actually), I find it pretty objectionable that a Conservative MP is advocating that the Conservatives break a major election promise, and I find it even more objectionable that he’s doing it through the medium of the press release. If you want to act like an independant MP, aggrandizing yourself at the expense of the governing party, you should at least have the decency to leave that party’s caucus before you do. Otherwise, quit trying to use the press to bludgeon your party leader, and let the guy he picked as Finance Minister write the budget.
Oh, and for refrence, I backed you on the Emerson/Fortier thing, because Harper was the one in the wrong there. But whatever respect you picked up from me on that one you just lost with this little stunt.
No party gets it all right, and great parties encourage debate, especially over policy. It’s how we demonstrate to the majority of Canadians (90% of whom do not belong to political parties) that we are open to ideas, modern, flexible and democratic. The attitude of many partisans on this blog must be the biggest turn-off imaginable for unaligned Canadians – people we call voters. — Garth
On the contrary Garth, I’m sure millions of Canadians will tell you that brone promises are probably the biggest thing that turns people off politicians.
Please, don’t frame the question here by saying that those of us who say you should stivk to the key 5 priorities outlined during the election campaign don’t believe in ideas.
I’m sure there is plenty of room for new ideas and the like without having to sacrifice any key election promises.
Where did I say I was not supporting the 5 priorities? I do. Period. — Garth
sorry, I meant to say “broken” promises
“Where did I say I was not supporting the 5 priorities?” I do. Period. — Garth
Great, I’m glad to hear that. Good to have that much cleared up.
The reality is governing is a complex thing and focusing only on five promises is not the best way to govern. Making five promises is a good way to win the election and certainly keeping them is good politics. This is off course not know, Bernard Lord had 20 promises for his first 200 days and here in BC we had the 90 day agenda for the BC Liberals. However, some of the promises such as the GST Cut were dumb promises. I would say get rid of the GST Cut while keep the other promises.
Garth, I never said that the party was 100% right – hell, if I got to rewrite the platform, it’d look basically nothing like the one you ran on. That said, you ran on it. Two months ago, you were telling the voters of your riding that you were a candidate supporting the Conservative platform, which is why they voted for you for the most part. Now you want to abandon that platform. Even if it’s only in part, you still lied to the voters, because you’re not supporting the platform you ran on.
And it’s not like circumstances have changed drastically either – the country still faces the same problems as it did on Jan. 23, and the government still needs to do the same things. If you didn’t want to run on the Conservative platform during the election, you should have run as an independant candidate, and if you did want to run on it, then you should be supporting it today.
As for the part about great parties supporting debate, you’re right, they do. However, great parties aren’t stupid enough to encourage MPs to debate publicly any time they have a minor disagreement with the party. You want to debate, do it at the caucus table or at a policy convention, but don’t issue press releases generically condemning the party you’re a member of and the platform you ran on.
I think you should dial it back a bit, friend. Wise politicians and parties are always examining whether their course of action is the best one, and sometimes seven weeks of study on an issue can turn up different conclusions than were evident during a few minutes of campaigning. Sober second thought, combined with listening to what Canadians actually want, can be a government’s best friend.
In this instance I have kept the finance minister fully informed of my actions, and given him the opportunity of stifling debate. He did not take it, because he is a wise politician. I will take my cue from him, thanks. — Garth