95.3 Towards More Efficient Use of Federal Funds
Whereas:
- The accumulated debt of the federal government currently approximates 70% of the GDP and the total including provincial governments approximates 100% of the GDP, making it the second highest ratio of the G-7 countries, next to Italy, and almost twice as high as the U.S., France, Germany, and the U.K.; and,
- Large portions of our public sector debts are being financed by the investment savings of other countries, and the servicing of this mounting debt leaves ever-decreasing portions of revenue for application to needed public programs; and,
- The OECD estimate that about half of the federal debt is structural, i.e. will not be eliminated by the business cycle and therefore requires either spending cuts or higher taxes, or a combination of both;
Therefore be it Resolved:
That The National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to:
- Focus on developing partnership arrangements with provinces, business, labour and communities to reduce areas of overlap in the provision of services at all levels of government; and,
- Improve levels of efficiency in program delivery and eliminate programs that no longer fulfill their original purpose or foster a more productive economy; and,
- Require independent audits, possibly enlisting the services of the Auditor General’s Department, to prepare timely and unbiased assessments of all major programs.