The program helps out provinces facing a year-over-year decline in non-resource revenues, but the money is capped at just $60 per resident.Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau promised his provincial counterparts at the end of last year that he’d get back to them by the end of January with a process for updating the decades-old program.
But this week, Morneau sent them a letter saying he’s now instructed his officials to provide advice on adjustments to the program for his consideration in the spring and his office says the letter itself is the update he promised. Increasing the amount of money the program provides was a key demand from western provinces after the federal election saw Liberals lose a great deal of support in the region.
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globepolitics This is the first time to my knowledge that the Liberal government has been in a hurry to do anything which means they really don’t want to make any meaningful change based on consultations with stakeholders
globepolitics Of course...if they denied the stabilization payment and the Teck mine at the same time...they would fuel the separation movement. You know both are going to be denied so best to put a month or two in between or they’ll look like an attack on western Canada
globepolitics They've worked for about a week, time for another 2-month vacation.
globepolitics federal Tories and Grits need some extend time in the opposition, but not being the official opposition. they both need a long extend period of being in a time out.