Federal government continues to disappoint [editorial]

The federal budget that was presented March
22 was an uninspired mess. We guess the
Conservatives didn’t think to try too hard,
considering the threat of a Spring election that was
in the air long before the glue on Finance Minister
Jim Flaherty’s newly re-soled shoes was set.

The tradition of Canada’s Finance Minister
buying a new pair of shoes before budget day dates
back to the mid-1900s. So when Flaherty opted
instead to re-sole an old pair of shoes, well, the
writing was on the wall.

Even though the Conservatives spent some time
wooing the NDP with some special concessions,
the budget document still fell flat like a pancake.
NDP Leader Jack Layton didn’t like what he saw
and by the next day announced that he couldn’t
support the Conservatives’ agenda.

The financial blueprint let down middle-class
Canadians, he said. But if middle class Canada was
disappointed in the offering, one can only imagine
the disillusionment of First Nations in Canada.

Hardly a mention, hardly a word in the budget about
a group in Canada that is so far behind the eightball
that it will take much time, effort and resources
to get it even close to parity with mainstream
Canadians.

Perhaps that’s why the Conservative
government has just stopped trying. In each
successive budget over the last number of years,
there has been less and less in them that Aboriginal
people can care about. We’ve been abandoned by
those whose legal duty it is to ensure our wellbeing.
And where is the uproar about this gross
betrayal? Certainly there would be something from
the opposition parties, some compassion for the
marginalized, some points to be scored that would
mutually benefit our causes; ours to lift the people
out of poverty and despair, and theirs to be elected
as the next government of Canada.

But it’s quiet, quiet, quiet.

So, we look to the elected leadership of the
Aboriginal people for response. The Assembly of
First Nations dutifully whipped up a press release
saying the budget didn’t show signs of its hope for
a new funding approach, which the AFN says is
needed “to better ensure equitable opportunity,
stability and safety for First Nation citizens and
communities.” But the statement lacked any real
passion, and that’s the real shame here. We’re
wondering if Chief Shawn Atleo’s rockstar image
isn’t getting in the way of him raising his voice a
little about this government’s apathetic approach
to First Nations issues and concerns. One has to
wonder if all the sizzle isn’t getting in the way of
producing work of any substance.

It’s not the first time Flaherty has opted for the
more frugal re-sole of old shoes for his budget
announcement, but in 2007 he purchased a pair of
hockey skates for his son. He should have got a
pair of Bauers for himself for this go-round, because
Canada is skating on all of its responsibilities to
First Nations people, be it in health or education or
child welfare. And the sad thing is that it seems
that the First Nations leadership appears to be
driving the Zamboni.

Windspeaker