Author Known: The Honourable (former) Liberal Minister from Nova Scotia, David Dingwall.
As we can all see across this country and the western world, there are numerous Dingwalls bitching and complaining about their loss of entitlements.
Some of them have a right to their complaints – others like the spoiled University Students in Quebec do not.
But the fact remains, many are complaining – some violently – and it will only get worse as Western Democracies try to get their debts and deficits under control in the face of their aging populations. Fewer and Fewer will be working and paying taxes for more and more retirees.
Dear Reader – it is simply a fact of life and a fact of the times we now live in.
I truly wish it were otherwise. I too like my entitlements – indeed if it could be, I would like to see us all ‘entitled’ from birth to grave – sounds heavenly as indeed it would be. The trouble with this scenario is that only workaholics would be left to do the heavy lifting and they too would soon tire of supporting the rest.
So what is the answer?
Well that is the simple part – cut spending – but that should have started 20 years ago. Sadly we have left it too late. Certainly for the PIIG Countries of Europe. It will get done, but how much greater the pain. When cutbacks would have worked years ago, we now face massive slashing.
Now this leads me to Prime Minister Harper – bless him. He and his Government are doing many things right – despite the comments of the Liberal Media. But he is also doing some things wrong – e.g. prison expansion. There are already too many incarcerated that need not be.
But I also believe his reduction in the Civil Service is being done incorrectly too. Not that it does not need to be drastically reduced – it does – but we here in Canada are still a little bit better off than many European Nations – we still have time – I think – to go about these reductions more humanely.
If I was Prime Minister for a day – here is what I would do:
1. I would let attrition do its thing. I am a boomer and am retired from the civil service – there are many, many like me who are about to call it a work day so to speak and if given a little time – there would be thousands leaving.
2. Consultants – get rid of them – they are charging you and I on average $800 a day for work that a motivated bureaucracy could and should do.
3. Term Employees – send them out the door – but send them with a number. They will be needed once the boomers retire in great number. Tell them they will come back if they still wanted to at that time.
4. If that does not balance the books – then impose an across the board wage reduction – say 10% starting with the Prime Minister’s salary and working down from there. If that is not enough – set the rate of reduction to the point where it does the trick.
Bottom line – the civil service does not lose any permanent staff involuntarily.
The Unions will still bitch as their membership (power) decreases, but it is not only the most humane way to proceed – it is also the right way to proceed.
As I see it …
‘K.D. Galagher’
