Canada’s Federal Government Slashes Environmental Spending, But Keeps Subsidies to Big Oil

The Harper Conservatives have racked up a mighty deficit. When they came into power, the outgoing Liberal government handed them a $12 Billion surplus. The financial crisis is only partly to blame for the huge shortfall, however much the Conservatives would like to lay all the blame on its doorstep. But the fact is, in 2011, after five years of Conservative government, we are in a fiscal mess. And the looming budget, expected in on March 22, will see some belt-tightening measures. It won’t be Big Oil and Gas who will be cinching up their girths, despite the fact that Canadian taxpayers subsidize the richest industry in the world to the tune of $1.4 Billion a year. Instead, the government is targeting programs that address climate change and air pollution. Those programs are being cut to the tune of $1.6 Billion dollars a year, according to numbers released yesterday by the Treasury Board.

Source: 350 or bust