OUR GOVERNMENT - WHOSE SIDE ARE THEY ON ANYWAYS?

Today's Waterloo Region Advocate carrys the following story "New employment insurance tribunal lopsided" and is written by Thomas Walkom. He refers to these plans as simply an extension of the Conservatives' war on wages. Decades ago I would have been hardpressed to believe that a Canadian government or any allegedly democratic government could be so blatantly partisan. By partisan I don't necessarily mean favouring one political party or another so much as favouring one class of people versus another. Store owners, businessmen, entrepreneurs, the wealthy, the self employed these are the folks I'm referring to. These are the backbone of the Conservative support and yet they still desperately need the votes of the rest of us to get and maintain political power. Perhaps if we are lucky it will be their us versus them ideology which will be their downfall.

In this specific case Mr. Walkom indicates the "juicy patronage" opportunities of the new social security tribunal. Its' connected members will be well paid and most are Conservatives including failed candidates, riding association chiefs, and Conservative donors. Wow just imagine how sympathetic this group will be to unemployment claims and or appeals regarding Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan. Mr. Walkom's point is that this new group are not remotely representative of society as the old one was. Labour in particular are being left out thus stacking the deck. This is mean spirited and come election time I hope voters remember who's been attacking (and postponing) old age pensions as well as umemployment insurance. The Tories are intentionally unravelling the social safety net and they are for the most part doing it quietly.