November 22, 2001

Gordon Campbell and the Liberals announced yesterday plans to cut a third of civil service jobs. That is a huge amount. Something like 10000 people will be fired. There's lots of numbers being waved around in the air. I just picked one at random. Why are they doing this? The Liberals made an election promise to balance the budgets. They believe that this is the only way that they can do so. So, at a time when the economy is basically in the shitter, people are getting laid off left and right from forestry industry, technology industry, tourism industry (all those airplane people are out of jobs eh?), basically, everything. At a time like this, the Liberals want to fire a bunch more people. Vaughn Palmer said it best, I think, in his editorial yesterday in the Vancouver Sun. I forgot the exact words, but it went something like "The BC economy is on its knees, and the LIberals just kicked it down the stairs." Imagery like that is awesome.

So, what's the good, the bad and the ugly? Well, I don't think that anybody would argue against making government more efficient, and less corrupt and wasteful, particularly in the administration. That is sorely needed, especially in key areas. Well, especially in health care, I should say. Restructuring is necessary. But I think I wrote about that before. So. That's one possible benefit, that things will become more efficient. However, I sort of doubt it. They're not really trying to make things more efficient....they're just trying to cut jobs. It's not the same thing. Other benefit? Well, the budget might be balanced. Well, so what? How does that benefit anybody? I don't know. It benefits the Liberals, possibly, because they promised to do it, and now they're doing it. But particularly in the short term, busting up the economy like this probably does more harm than if the budget ran a slight deficit. I mean, really. How do you feel about a balanced budget? It sounds nice, yeah. But does it really make a big difference to you? Big businesses and rich guys will get tax breaks maybe. I don't know if I count that as a benefit.

The bad? Well, I already mentioned it. Add the fact that the Liberals, so far, as economists, stink. They predicted that the tax cuts that they enacted in the first little while that they were in power, would stimulate growth. Well that didn't happen. They predicted that they would.....well, I don't know. But take my word for it. Bad economists. They're now claiming that cutting these jobs will promote economic growth. Hmm. Do these things make sense to you?

And the ugly? The human cost. Where are these 10000 people going to find jobs? In the private sector which is laying people off left and right? Of course not. It'll be a rough Christmas for them. My bet is, they're regretting voting Liberal and hailing Gordon Campbell as a saviour. I wouldn't be surprised if soon, we're all feeling that way.