How Ottawa Spends 1994 95

The Liberal government's assault on the deficit will reduce program spending by 21 percent by 1998/99 and be accompanied by a reduction of almost 50,000 public employees. Rather than a frantic across-the-board slashing exercise, the cuts have been portrayed as a change in philosophy toward reducing the role of the federal government by devolving responsibilities to other sectors and applying private sector management techniques to those activities that remain. This year's edition focuses on life in Canada - from the perspective of specific government departments, the Liberal government and society as a whole - now that the federal budget cutting knife is being wielded in an unprecedented manner. Have the restraint measures been like a scalpel, surgically removing unnecessary fat from various government departments, or more like a chain saw cutting a wide swath through its core? Individual chapters analyze the impact of restraint on the departments of industry, environment, human resources development, treasury board, government services and public works, and defence.

In the twenty-seventh edition of How Ottawa Spends, leading Canadian scholars examine the Tory agenda in relation to the changing dynamics of a resurgent Western Canadian power base, Quebec-Canada relations, Canada-U.S. tensions, and key Martin policies. Contributors explore the challenges that have been created by unsustainable promises made by both major parties on expenditures and growth. They also look at the thorny issues of federal procurement policy and ethics, fiscal policy, energy policy, equalization and energy revenues, cancer control, patent policy and access to emergency medicines, the regulation of tobacco, gambling, and alcohol, and efforts to review spending. Contributors include Barbara Allen (Birmingham and Carleton), Malcolm Bird (Carleton), Keith Brownsey (Mount Royal College), Bruce Doern (Carleton and Exeter), Geoffrey Hale (Lethbridge), John Langford (Victoria), Evert Lindquist (Victoria), Lisa Mills (Carleton), Tanya Neima (Carleton), Andre Plourde (Alberta), Michael Prince (Victoria), Andrea Rounce (Carleton), Christopher Stoney (Carleton), Allan Tupper (British Columbia), and Ashley Weber (Carleton).

During the 1993 Federal election, the Liberals produced a document, known as the Red Book, which provided a detailed blueprint for how the party would govern, if elected. Jean Chrétien often stated that the promises were put in writing so the public would be better able to hold his government accountable. Three years into their mandate, the Liberals issued a self-assessment of their record which indicates that 78 percent of the 197 Red Book commitments have been fulfilled and another 12 percent are in progress. What constitutes living up to a promise is debatable as the opposition parties estimate that the Liberals have fulfilled only 25 percent of their promises.