Mediaboss Marketing

The Trudeau government got little traction with the Canadian public from the big spending economic stimulus measures in its 2016 budget, according to newly released federal focus group data.

Although the focus group participants may not have known a lot about the key measures in that first Liberal budget, their opinions closely aligned with some of the big ticket items outlined a couple of months later in the fall fiscal update and in the Liberals'second budget tabled last month.

Environics Research found that few Canadians considered Ottawa's early moves to enrich monthly child benefits or expand the Canada Pension Plan as something intended to boost the economy.

Environicsconducted a series of 10 focus groups of eight to 10 people each for the Department of Finance between Sept. 19 and 22 to get a sense of people's attitudes about the Canadian economy.

Six months after the government's first budget announced billions in infrastructure spending, the focus group found that "few could recall any specific government of Canada measures in recent months to bolster the economy, aside from some vague recollection of actions related to trade."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with Morneau after he delivered the Liberals' second federal budget in the House of Commons on March 22. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

There was also a low level of awareness when it came to the enhanced Canada Pension Plan Ottawa negotiated with the provinces and the Canada child benefit a centrepiece initiative of the Trudeau government's first budget.

"Some indicated that they recalled these initiatives, but they did not consider them measures that were designed specifically to boost the economy," the focus group report states.

When it came to infrastructure projects that would help jolt the economy, on the other hand, focus group participants supported investments in affordable housing, clean energy, roads and public transit.

And the Liberal's second budget, delivered March 22, committed $11.2 billion over 11 years for a national housing strategy.

Focus group members also offered a mixed view on the idea of the government selling off federal assets such as airports to pay for the new infrastructure projects. This was an idea championed by the government's economic advisory council but which ultimately was not included in the spring budget.

Environics says the idea was "received with mixed reviews" by focus groupparticipants, who were concerned about the loss of "future revenue potential" and could not think of many examples where selling off public assets had been successful.

There was also a lot of support for the Liberals' ubiquitous message of helping the "middle class and those working hard to join it."

Environics found that messages directed at the middle class tested well and that "many felt these kinds of messages were directed at people like themselves."

Focus group members also liked messages with a focus on job creation and diversity for their positive tone, according to a report on the findings that was posted online.

The cost of the research, which also included a telephone survey of 2,000 Canadians, was $147,000.

CBC is not responsible for 3rd party content

Read more:
Liberals' 1st budget didn't resonate with public, internal focus group suggested - CBC.ca

The federal government tabled a wide-ranging budget bill Tuesday that includes legal changes to the powers of the Parliamentary Budget Officer as well as a new law that creates the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

The opposition says the legislation, at more than 300 pages, amounts to an omnibus bill at the very same time that the governing Liberals are separately proposing changes to the parliamentary rules that would make omnibus bills illegal.

At first glance, opposition MPs say Finance Minister Bill Morneaus latest budget bill appears to be an example of the very thing the Liberals say should be banned.

Opinion: Hidden dangers lie in Liberals proposed parliamentary rule changes

Its hypocritical, said Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen, who added that if the Liberals wanted to end the use of omnibus bills, they could just do so.

The Liberal Party campaigned on a pledge to end so-called omnibus bills based on concern that such large bills force MPs to vote yes or no on a large package of changes even though they might support some parts and not others.

Parliaments spending watchdog is expressing concern that the latest budget bill will limit its ability to hold the government to account.

Mostafa Askari, the assistant PBO, told The Globe and Mail on Tuesday that the legislation raises concerns over the PBOs independence. New requirements to have the Speakers of the House of Commons and Senate review and approve an annual PBO work plan and to receive advance copies of any PBO report are the main points of concern.

Currently, the PBO is free to release reports at any time on any relevant topic on its website.

My first impression is that certainly those would be some issues of concern to us, he said.

There are those kind of issues that, to me, are the constraints that may, in practical terms, affect the PBO in a negative way. But there are other aspects in terms of the appointment [of the PBO] and those kinds of things that are certainly improvements.

Proposing an end to "improper" omnibus legislation is part of the package of changes to the rules of the House of Commons that recently caught opposition parties by surprise.

Ms. Bergen said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is using his majority to push through changes to the House rules that should require the support of all parties. She said changes related to the Parliamentary Budget Officer should be removed from the budget bill and studied independently.

NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice agreed that the budget bill is an example of what the Liberals say they want to eliminate.

Its an omnibus bill, from our point of view, he said. The NDP MP argues the bill includes changes to the Parliament of Canada Act, the Judges Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs Act, the Food and Drugs Act and a new law called the Canada Infrastructure Bank Act that appear to be the types of measures that should be introduced separately, rather than included in a budget bill.

Daniel Lauzon, a spokesperson for Mr. Morneau, defended the legislation and said all of its measures relate to what was in the March 22 budget.

Our commitment to transparency is real and as far as the size of the bill and its content, its all in the budget plan. So no surprises for anyone, he said in an e-mail. Compare that with the Conservatives long-standing practice of trying to ram through unrelated measures by forcing confidence votes on them. Thats not what were doing.

The new Canada Infrastructure Bank Act gives cabinet the power to appoint a board of directors of between eight and 11 people. The board would then select a chief executive officer.

The purpose of the bank is to invest, and seek to attract investment from private sector investors and institutional investors, in infrastructure projects in Canada or partly in Canada that will generate revenue and that will be in the public interest the legislation states.

The legislation includes criteria for the CEO, including that he or she must be at least 18 years of age, not be bankrupt and not be employed by a federal, provincial or municipal government.

The salary and benefits for the CEO will be set by cabinet on the advice of the board. The legislation gives the Minister of Finance the power to pay the bank up to $35-billion from the consolidated revenue fund.

Follow Bill Curry on Twitter: @curryb

Follow this link:
Opposition MPs cry foul over Liberals' tabling of 300-page bill - The Globe and Mail

Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Newly Energized Liberals Pour Record Effort Into Local Races Wall Street Journal (subscription) ALPHARETTA, Ga.For years, Rachel Paule didn't have much to do with politics. That changed abruptly after Election Day. The 23-year-old Georgian attended the women's march in Washington after President Donald Trump's inauguration. She became a ...

See the rest here:
Newly Energized Liberals Pour Record Effort Into Local Races - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Vancouver Sun

Fact check: Liberals on education, Horgan on taxes Vancouver Sun The statement (found on page 78 of the Liberal platform): Ensuring the world's best education outcomes for our students is the best way to make sure they can benefit from one of North America's strongest economies. British Columbia has a K-12 ... and more »

See original here:
Fact check: Liberals on education, Horgan on taxes - Vancouver Sun

Subscribe today for full access on your desktop, tablet, and mobile device.

Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about

Liberalism is still very much alive, and its death-grip on Americas throat has only slackened.

Try Another

Audio CAPTCHA

Image CAPTCHA

Help

CancelSend

A link has been sent to your friend's email address.

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Winston McCuen Published 10:25 a.m. ET April 11, 2017 | Updated 10:37 a.m. ET April 11, 2017

Letter to the editor(Photo: File photo)

Trumps election last November drew a great sigh of relief from real America, red America.It showed that real Americans are sick and tired of totalitarian liberalism and political correctness.Coming in the wake of Russian nationalism and Brexit, Trumps victory also showed that many Americans oppose globalism and U.S. imperialism.But despite these recent setbacks, liberalism is still very much alive, and its death-grip on Americas throat has only slackened.

Obama left America staggering under a crushing load of unconstitutional and immoral legislation, executive ordersand court rulings.Team Trump and the Republican Party cannot undo the deeper social, economic, political and spiritual damage to American civilization wrought by Obamas heathen and tyrannical liberalism.That work can be performed only by the Triune God through a spiritually regenerated people and the breakup of the American Union.

Five months after the election, liberals are still fuming about their defeat.Before the election, they had fancied themselves our permanent and rightful masters. Unlike the Right, the Left in America is unaccustomed to thinking of states rights and secession as means to redress their grievances.Desiring to control everything and everyone, liberals could never view secession as an ideal option.Still, being out of power at the national level greatly offends liberal pride, and the prospect of four or more years under Trump rule seems unbearable to many.

When this cup of offense overflows, secession by the fruits and nuts in California could break the back of Left-wing tyranny in America and inaugurate conservative revolution and Christian renaissance across the land.

Winston McCuen

Aiken

Read or Share this story: http://grnol.co/2oo0V0P

0) { %>

0) { %>

More:
LETTER: Liberals may incite revolution - Greenville News