He spent more on shoes to present his budget than a disabled person received for a month.

He spent more on shoes to present his budget than a disabled person received for a month.

Toronto, Ontario - Wednesday, June 5, 2002 - by: Lucile Barker

social
welfare
issues
My grief with this personage is that when the Liberals were elected, various groups in the country were asked to send in briefs regarding social welfare issues to Lloyd Axworthy on their suggestions to make this a better country. Churches, synagogues, community centres, municipalities, hospitals and other institutions and agencies worked their butts off preparing these, sometimes at great financial and personal expense.

cuts
Then St. Paul saw the light on the road to Damascus (or the International Monitary Fund) and we got cuts, the end of the Canada Assistance Plan and federally sanctioned regional disparities. We had a minister of Finance who spent more on a pair of shoes to wear while presenting his budget than a disabled person was given to live on (subsist) for a month.

corporate
welfare
family
The fact that Mr. Martin's family business received huge subsidies during the 1930's to create Canada Steamship lines and create jobs was corporate welfare. The registration of the assets of this corporation (CSL)in Bermuda as a tax dodge has never been addressed by Mr. Martin or the Federal Liberals. I consider this just as scandalous as any of the other freebies that other cabinet members have obtained through their positions.

Canada
Gone
downhill
The economy of Canada has gone downhill for all but the upper class. As someone who was downsized and who lives in an urban area where there are a great number of disadvantaged persons, I have watched the decline of Canada through urban eyes. Friends in Saskatchewan who are watching the federal government desert agriculture except for that engaged in by large corporations have seen the decline through a rural perspective.

trough
As for his father being a loser, get real! The old boy got a sinecure in London and wrote his memoirs at our expense. Get Martin and his clones out of the trough and into a job where they would have to do something. Or could they?

Lucile Barker

Editor's Note: Lucile Barker is a Toronto writer and poet and as president of the board of Ralph Thornton Centre has been outspoken in defending local people centred community organisations.



He spent more on shoes to present his budget than a disabled person received for a month.

Toronto, Ontario - Wednesday, June 5, 2002 - by: Lucile Barker

social welfare issues	My grief with this personage is that when the Liberals were elected, various groups in the country were asked to send in briefs regarding social welfare issues to Lloyd Axworthy on their suggestions to make this a better country. Churches, synagogues, community centres, municipalities, hospitals and other institutions and agencies worked their butts off preparing these, sometimes at great financial and personal expense.

cuts	Then St. Paul saw the light on the road to Damascus (or the International Monitary Fund) and we got cuts, the end of the Canada Assistance Plan and federally sanctioned regional disparities. We had a minister of Finance who spent more on a pair of shoes to wear while presenting his budget than a disabled person was given to live on (subsist) for a month.

corporate welfare family	The fact that Mr. Martin's family business received huge subsidies during the 1930's to create Canada Steamship lines and create jobs was corporate welfare. The registration of the assets of this corporation (CSL)in Bermuda as a tax dodge has never been addressed by Mr. Martin or the Federal Liberals. I consider this just as scandalous as any of the other freebies that other cabinet members have obtained through their positions.

Canada Gone downhill	The economy of Canada has gone downhill for all but the upper class. As someone who was downsized and who lives in an urban area where there are a great number of disadvantaged persons, I have watched the decline of Canada through urban eyes. Friends in Saskatchewan who are watching the federal government desert agriculture except for that engaged in by large corporations have seen the decline through a rural perspective.

trough	As for his father being a loser, get real! The old boy got a sinecure in London and wrote his memoirs at our expense. Get Martin and his clones out of the trough and into a job where they would have to do something. Or could they?

	Lucile Barker

	Editor's Note: Lucile Barker is a Toronto writer and poet and as president of the board of Ralph Thornton Centre has been outspoken in defending local people centred community organisations.