Is ACOA damaging to our local business climate?
Like me, former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna is on record saying he would scrap ACOA if he became the federal leader. After reading this article in the Daily Gleaner today, I can see why.
Good reads: ACOA: The Lost Decade, 2005 Pre-election Spend-O-Meter, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Another Subsidy Wave Crashes Into Atlantic Canada, 2004 Pre-election Spending.
Update: Speaking of McKenna, I was glad to see he mirrored my sentiments today on what is required in the short term in order to position the NB economy for outside business investment:
"Former Premier and TD Bank Deputy Chairman Frank McKenna says New Brunswick will need a major tax overhaul if it hopes to stay competitive in these uncertain economic times."
9 Comments:
I'd be all for it if someone could should me that it works?
anon: I downloaded and pasted a few good reads from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation on the subject of ACOA and how it doesn't work.
Sorry, but I can't find any good examples that show its great success.
And to think, I thought we would get a different approach from Mackay, Keddy and Thompson.
You can't believce what Mckenna says, he is a sneaky politician who says what people want to hear no matter the contradiction.If he gets into federal politics we can all line up for 8-9 dollar call center jobs. Our kindergarten teachers will work for poor salaries because they are women. The province would cough up millions for corporations such as UPS to set up shop to provide low wages and then he can sit on the corporate board. He is on record for calling the US senate Protectionists but he is the deputy chair of a bank protected from foreign competition and therefor loot our pockets with their user fees to amass assets in other countries. He should not be taken seriously when something this crucial is being discussed because he only sees things from an elite point of view. Not something that Canadians can afford.
Former premiers sitting on corporate board or for a national newspaper board are common. Mike Harris did it and so did Bob Rae and David Peterson, who both worked closely with Bay Street. Bernard Lord took a job with a law firm in based out of Montreal/Toronto, so it's definitely happening.
To be honest, if we had a stronger domestic economy, I don't even think those positions would be relevant or up for debate in NB. But since we don't, ppl like to find a scapegoat. Furthermore, they are private citizens, so they should take advantage of the knowledge, contacts and experience they have acquired while in government, especially since everyone knows, politics doesn't pay.
I find that one big problem with former politicians as well as current ones. Just like the Mulroney Schreiber affair. Businesses elites are willing to pay well connected former politicians to get business done. And they call it consulting, I think that it should be called insulting. It really goes to show that the whole idea of democracy is changing from the people to the big money. The only time politicians really want to speak with the people is before an election.
Look at the former politicians who head up companies like Carlyle. They are recieving defence contracts when some of these guys are privy to national security info. and are the father of the current US president. To me that is not what Western Democracy should be about.
It really goes to show that the whole idea of democracy is changing from the people to the big money. The only time politicians really want to speak with the people is before an election.
I was speaking about this very point today. I agree, politicians not only have to be more accessible (with the people), they should not get into the profession if it's for monetary gain.
One word to sum up Premier McKenna.
Hypocrite
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