Kyoto protocol and promote a sophisticated, The AFB thus urges Paul Martin to base his environmentally sustainable economy; budget projections on independent assessments • rebuild and stabilize the funding for Cana- conducted by the Auditor-General, enhancing da's national cultural institutions; the transparency of federal budgets and hence • restore and enhance the fairness of the tax the public' [...] A full 44% of the "fiscal At the same time that it was repaying pub- dividend" enjoyed by the federal government lic debt, the federal government implemented in the five years after balancing its books has $100 billion in tax cuts over five years as the gone to debt reduction, with another 46% to key method of distributing and eliminating the tax cuts. [...] For years 2005 and beyond, we use the Economic and Fiscal Up- The Fiscal Outlook of the AFB date's estimates of real GDP growth.4 The interest rate is the final macroeconomic With these macroeconomic assumptions in variable that plays a decisive role in the federal place, the second step of the AFB process is to budget. [...] However, with the addi- a capital asset, the full expense of the asset is tional borrowing undertaken for CIFA, the not recorded in the year in which the purchase total stock of federally-guaranteed debt in- is made. [...] It is important to note, however, that the pected life of 40 years out of its program spend- federal debt burden, including the CIFA, falls ing budget, $125 million would show up in throughout the AFB forecast as a share of GDP program expenses for each of the 40 years of (from about 42% of GDP at present to 37.4% the expected life of the asset.

As different sides High-income Canadians and businesses have of the political spectrum present their cases, the been richly rewarded for their sacrifices in the government appears content, in the words of fight against the deficit with the program of the C. D. Howe Institute, to "let the debate be- $100 billion in tax cuts that was introduced in gin." 2000. [...] The chapters of the ing for health care to the provinces with an in- 2005 AFB are dedicated to outlining priorities crease of almost $10 billion over the next three in a range of social programs and infrastruc- years, the Canada Social Transfer remains the 6. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Alternative Federal Budget 2005: It's Time poor cousin of the Canada Health Transfer. [...] The following provides a summary Canada's local governments that ultimately suf- of the key measures needed to eliminate pov- fered the major brunt of federal and provincial erty in Canada and a summary of the main downloading, as is shown in the chapter on Fed- measures in the different chapters of the AFB. [...] The sponsibilities from the federal to the provincial AFB will build on the great generosity shown to the municipal level without the accompany- by Canadians in responding to the tsunami dis- ing funds, crumbling infrastructure, and accel- aster by increasing development assistance by erating inequality between individuals, commu- 12%-15% per year in order to reach the goal of nities and provinces [...] Reductions in federal government departed from the pledge employment insurance benefits and the elimi- of 50/50 cost-sharing in the late 1970s and early nation of the Canada Assistance Plan have 1980s, but it was forced into sharp relief by the shifted the burden of dealing with unemploy- substantial cuts in Ottawa's share of funding ment and poverty away from the federal gov- imposed in the 1995.

The "economic elite" has long been thought to cooperate at a corporate level to impact state and national policies and programs at the expense of the Canadian citizenry. However, this work reveals the expanding reach of the elite and their current encroachment into the noncorporate arena as yet another opportunity to exert their formidable influence. Citing the increasingly unified and class-conscious aspects of the group, this text reveals the degree to which this minority continues to prosper, dominate, and threaten Canadian democracy through numerous unifying mechanisms: corporate director interlocks; concentrated economic ownership; ties to the mass media; and the many business-oriented think tanks, philanthropic foundations, and corporate policy organizations. Maintaining that these existing relations need not be considered inevitable, the author challenges concerned citizens to come together to disrupt the political and economic status quo.

A complete and balanced reference, this timely resource surveys the current state of budgeting throughout all levels of the United States government. The text emphasizes methods by which financial decisions are reached within a system as well as ways in which different types of information are used in budgetary decision-making. It also stresses the use of program information, since, for decades, budget reforms have sought to introduce greater program considerations into financial decisions. Public Budgeting Systems, Seventh Edition retains the structure of the sixth edition yet gives increased attention to topics such as program information and government's role in the economy and has been updated with all new tables and exhibits. Using this text, students will gain a first-rate understanding of methods by which financial decisions are reached within a system, and how different types of information are used in budgetary decision-making.