Federal Budget 2023
Only the People Can Provide Solutions to the Problems They Face
The Trudeau government's 2023 federal budget, issued March 28 by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, reflects a refusal of governments to address problems as they exist. Instead, the government is handing out money to powerful private interests and throwing dust in people's faces with cash payments.
The federal budget proves once again that private interests have seized control of governments and now plunder the public treasury at will to finance their projects and fatten their pockets.
Government budgets throughout the country have adopted the habit of providing stipends to individuals as payment towards the difficulties they face rather than dealing with the problems through increased investments in social programs. The Ontario government gave a small amount to families with students during the pandemic under the hoax of helping with the problems of Internet education. The Quebec government is providing an income tax deduction of about $300 to those with average taxable incomes. Now the federal government has unfurled a "grocery rebate" as a one-time hike to this year's GST rebate of $467 for families, $234 for singles and up to $255 for seniors.
The additional GST rebate does nothing to solve the problem of price inflation of groceries or any other necessary goods. As one woman said on CBC: "My husband and I are low income workers with two children. The prices of food and just about everything else we need to live are going up, making life very difficult. The grocery rebate amounts to less than two weeks groceries for our family. What are we to do for the rest of the year?"
The individual stipends are government admissions that they have no solutions to the problems the people, economy and society face. Governments are unwilling to strike out in a new direction that challenges global private interests because those private interests have seized control of governments.
The proof of the capture of governments by private interests is shown concretely in the most important feature of the federal budget -- $80 billion in handouts to big business and their private enterprises to invest as they see fit in "low-carbon electricity, manufacturing, and other elements of a clean economy." The amount for private business from the federal public purse, totalling up to 40 per cent of federal government spending, will be theirs to do with as they wish. In the words of the budget, the handouts will "remain in the market" for business to decide. Not a week goes by without government officials somewhere in the country announcing a handout to private business in one form or another.
The federal
budget proves once again that the people cannot rely on
the gods of plague to implement solutions to the problems the people,
economy and society face. The people are coming to realize that no
gains can be made without bravely and firmly opposing the global
private interests now in
control and striking out on their own. The ruling elite refuse to face
up to the social, economic and political problems or even think about a
new path because doing so would infringe on their monopoly right to
serve their narrow private interests above all else. They are captive
within those
private interests and cannot break free from their narrow aim, thinking
and outlook.
Solutions can be found in organizing the people in defence of the rights of all, for a pro-social direction for the economy and democratic renewal of political affairs.
The way forward is for working people to discover, in their organized actions with analysis, the ability to claim what belongs to them by right. They are the producers of all that they and society need for their existence.
The key is to shake off reliance on the ruling elite and their official institutions and the outmoded belief that they will do things in the people's favour. They will never do so! The people must be in charge of all matters that affect their lives. All out for a new direction! It can be done! It must be done!
Whose Economy? The People's Economy!
Who
Decides? The People Decide!
Under Whose Control? Under the People's Control!
This article was published in
Volume 53 Number 3 - March 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/M530031.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca