Lies My Ferret Told Me

Victoria, British Columbia
48° 39' North; 123° 26' West

Usually, policy wonks can turn your brain into a pretzel, especially economic ones.

But this time around Marc Lee from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives stops the Gary Collins Spin Machine dead by simply reaching over and pulling out the plug.

"The Ministry of Finance’s second quarter update on the 2004/05 BC Budget deserves to be put in a museum as a wonderful example of the fine art of government spin. In case you have not seen the commercials on TV, the Ministry’s press release begins with four glowing paragraphs about the BC economy. According to Finance Minister Gary Collins, “BC is on the move.”......

.....It was just a couple of months ago that Minister Collins stated: “We are no longer a have-not province.” Yet, the second quarter update notes that in 2004/05 BC will get a record $721 million in equalization payments, plus $596 million next year (from the Federal Gov't)."

So, in other words, if you want to fully enjoy the lies that Garret The Ferret is serving up you must be willing to swallow, whole, the concept that B.C. is no longer a 'have not' province precisely because it is a 'have not' province. Of course, this culinary practice is not something we recommend as it will very likely lead to a nasty case of projectile vomiting in the middle of the night.

But wait! There's more from Mr. Lee, and it's important because it maps the true course of the SS Gordon Campbell:

"To put the (provincial budget) surplus into perspective, consider that ministries outside health care and education experienced a budget cut that puts them $1.9 billion below 2001/02 levels. These cuts hit hardest in areas such as social assistance and children and families."

In other words, the surplus has nothing to do with a booming economy. Instead, it is being fueled by the juicy strips of bacon that are being ripped from the backs of you and me.

But then again, we deserve it, because our fat burns real good. Just ask the Fraser Institute.