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Letters: Sticking to spending lanes

Editor: 

I recently received a newsletter from Patrick Weiler, our elected Member of Parliament. Good that he keeps the constituents informed.  

I was struck by the list of announcements and grants. A million here and a million there, sprinkled throughout the riding. The message: your MP is delivering the goodies!   

In my view there is a problem with this: Why is the Government of Canada reaching down to the local level to fund street widening and bicycle lanes and such?  Rt Hon Jean Chrétien had it right. He said the Government of Canada has no business building “church halls and hockey rinks.” Our federal government should be doing – and do well – what it is mandated to do under our constitution, namely international relations, national defence, customs and immigration, monetary policy, Coast Guard, fisheries, and such. (The BNA Act Section 91 sets it all out).  

I look at the list of projects proudly announced by Mr. Weiler. In its essence, this is vote-buying. Even worse, every one of the MPs in 338 ridings across the country is equally eager to show what they can deliver. No wonder we have a national fiscal problem. 

If we, at the provincial level and locally want improvements to sidewalks, parks, meeting halls, crosswalks, or whatever, we should stand up and pay for it. We are on the wrong track in this country muddying up the constitutional separation of national and local responsibilities, and accountability that goes with it. 

Now, I have heard it said: Everybody else in the other 337 ridings is at the trough. We should have our snouts in it too. There may be logic to that. But, my goodness, it doesn’t make it right. 

John Hansen, Halfmoon Bay