What Should Be The Correct Size Of The Federal Government?

[Angstrom]

And to make it as small as possible, the question in the title needs be answered.

You'd have to blow the whole thing up and start from scratch. Our system works harder at making problems then at solving them.

I don't think we have the kind of brain power here in Canada that could make our government more efficient then what is in place ATM.
Its just not part of our culture.

 

[taxslave]

This is why I was so disappointed with Paul Martin. I thought that someone with a real business background just might make a difference. Instead he turned out to be either too old to take on the job or just simply overwhelmed by the gross incompetence and mismanagement that runs through the entire federal government.

 

[Cabbagesandking]

This is why I was so disappointed with Paul Martin. I thought that someone with a real business background just might make a difference. Instead he turned out to be either too old to take on the job or just simply overwhelmed by the gross incompetence and mismanagement that runs through the entire federal government.

And yet he reduced the civil service by 15% which is what you seem to want done.

 

[jwmcq625]

We have way too much government in Canada, and the numbers needs to be drastically reduced. I'm not talking about front-line workers, I'm talking about the numbers of MPs, Provincial MLA's and senior bureaucrats, most of whom we could and should shed to save money for taxpayers. In the public service, those at the top of the bureaucratic pay-scale should be eliminated, and the money saved could be put to much better use in healthcare and education, while leaving the people in place on the front lines, because it is them that actually does all the work, with too few people. These front-line workers are continually being told by senior bureaucrats that they need to learn to do more with less, while the senior bureaucrats don't or won't follow their own advice. In fact these same senior bureaucrats sees nothing wrong with rewarding themselves with bonuses for doing nothing except what they are already generously overpaid to do.

The federal government is the house of commons and the senate, my answer is count up the sitting members and divide by 2.

Or maybe your talking about federal government employees? In that case it is impossible to put any numbers to it unless one knows how many of those there are. Give us the current number of federal employees and we might have a starting point to give you an answer.

A good place to start is by dividing the number of MPs, Senators, and Provincial MLAs, and eliminate at least half of those positions. The same should be applied to the ranks of senior bureaucrats, considering the fact that they do little to nothing for the huge salaries they are being paid, while they sit back and lay-off front-line workers, they very people who actually does all of the work.

 

[L Gilbert]

Private firms have to make a profit and many have chosen to do so by stiffing their employees and cutting the quality of the services they are supposed to provide.

Also happens in the fed gov't sort of. Martin wanted to balance the budget for a while and did so bystiffing seniors, students, and others by cutting services to those people.

What should be the correct size of the federal government?

5 inches but they'll tell you it's 8.

That's because the other 3" are extra taxation over and above the normal taxation of OUR inches.

 

[tay]

In An Effort To Control Costs, Flaherty Budget Eliminates Federal Government


:canada:



Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, in what some observers are calling a surprising move, proposed the complete elimination of the federal government at the unveiling of Conservatives’ 2012 budget in the House of Commons yesterday.

“For too long, innovation and growth have suffered in Canada because of antiquated, 18th century liberal notions like ‘government,’ and ‘health care’ and ‘air traffic control’.” Flaherty said. “But the Canada of the 21st century needs to return to the flexibility, dynamism, and every-man-for-himself frontier ethos that made this country great before electricity was invented.”

Some of the specifics of the proposed budget include eliminating altogether the retirement age, outsourcing postal services to Amazon.com and Netflix, and putting national defence in the hands of the Calgary Mustangs junior hockey team.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper weighed in on the budget by stating at a press conference that “Canada is a resource rich country: by eliminating impediments like the environmental regulation and the federal government, we can ensure that we maximize revenue from those resources--mainly by selling them to the Chinese.”


In An Effort To Control Costs, Flaherty Budget Eliminates Federal Government

 

[Machjo]

The perfect government size, Is as small as possible.

Not necessarily. Though I lean more towards small government, we should never become overly zealous about small government at all costs.

Another issue has to do with private-public collaboration. If government collaborates extensively with the private sector, or has various laws regulating the private sector efficiently, it is likely to be able to afford to be much smaller than a government that does not regulate the private sector efficiently or which does not work closely with the private sector.

For instance, many Scandinavian governments are quite small since much of the money they collect in taxes is simply being transfered to the people via the private sector. They also tend to regulate the private sector effectively too, and therefore much of their economy is in fact in the private sector.

 

[JLM]

Not necessarily. Though I lean more towards small government, we should never become overly zealous about small government at all costs.

Another issue has to do with private-public collaboration. If government collaborates extensively with the private sector, or has various laws regulating the private sector efficiently, it is likely to be able to afford to be much smaller than a government that does not regulate the private sector efficiently or which does not work closely with the private sector.

For instance, many Scandinavian governments are quite small since much of the money they collect in taxes is simply being transfered to the people via the private sector. They also tend to regulate the private sector effectively too, and therefore much of their economy is in fact in the private sector.

My opinion only but I think Gov't. should be restricted to enacting legislation, enforcing it and protecting the vulnerable and much of that can be contracted out, keeping a few watch dogs. Governments are great at building bureaucracies and Empire building for those of perceived exaggerated self importance.

 

[darkbeaver]

It should all be stuffed into a 12oz can, labled dog food.

 

[SLM]

It should all be stuffed into a 12oz can, labled dog food.

Why do you hate dogs?

 

[darkbeaver]

Why do you hate dogs?

Just political lapdogs.

 

[JLM]

While my opinion of politicians is basically unchanged I do have an admission to make.............I have stated ad infinitim, ad nauseum, that policians by and large are all tarred with same brush. I'm beginning to think there may be one important correction to make in light of his recent demise..........................Peter Loughheed.

 

[WLDB]

I'm beginning to think there may be one important correction to make in light of his recent demise..........................Peter Loughheed.

Id agree with that but how much of it is because he just died? While he was alive and in power he faced a lot of challenges and opposition. No politician is really popular for long while in power. Its usually much later that they are really judged and put into the history books.

A good place to start is by dividing the number of MPs, Senators, and Provincial MLAs, and eliminate at least half of those positions.

Good luck finding 150 federal constituencies willing to sign themselves out of existence. Same on the provincial level. Such a move would also require a change in the constitution. Messy. But hey, if a government is willing to try it it'll make for a good show.

I think they should keep the same number of MPs and just redistribute the boundaries after each census to make it as equal as possible. I know, that would also require a change in the constitution but it sure beats adding another 30 seats in the next couple years.

 

[Fletch]

Simple Math..... There should be exactly one Liberal per every Unicorn in Canada... And there should be the same number of NDP's correlating to the number of Do-Do birds that mated succesfully in the past year.. Other than that, the PC's should and are, continuing to rise in numbers simply due to natural evolution.

 

[gopher]

Can't speak for Canada but as our Founding Fathers demanded many moons ago, no standing army. By eliminating the military industrial complex we would reduce the huge bureaucracy in Washington DC, reduce needless government wastage of tax dollars, and fulfill the wishes of our Founders. All true conservatives who believe in limited government and our foundational principles should stand up and endorse these ideas.

 

[damngrumpy]

The civil service and the political end are two different things
The government is already short staff for delivering programs
oh sorry this government is destroying programs for ordinary
people.
Next year I hope to assist with a ballot in reducing the number
of Tory MP's in the House. I will vote Liberal or NDP depending
on what the landscape looks like we need to rid ourselves of
the current administration

 

[JLM]

The civil service and the political end are two different things
The government is already short staff for delivering programs
oh sorry this government is destroying programs for ordinary
people.
Next year I hope to assist with a ballot in reducing the number
of Tory MP's in the House. I will vote Liberal or NDP depending
on what the landscape looks like we need to rid ourselves of
the current administration

It's tempting, but then I get to thinking the "frying pan" looks better than the "fire". Mulcair is for Quebec and Jr. is a disaster wherever!

 

[Ludlow]

What should be the correct size of the federal government?

Does anybody know?

We are talking about 30 million people in Canada and 300 million people in America and that depend on the government help so what is the magic number of federal employees that should be working?

I thought government money helps level the playing field between the classes.

Everyone who works should have the same tax deductions as the corporations.

With more tax deductions people would spend more just like the corporations.

What is the majic number?

What do you think?

The measure of the size of government should be directly proportionate to the measure of the collective maturity and responsibility of those to be governed.

 

[Cliffy]

Size 8 so when one dies I can wear their shoes.

 

[taxslave]

The civil service and the political end are two different things
The government is already short staff for delivering programs
oh sorry this government is destroying programs for ordinary
people.
Next year I hope to assist with a ballot in reducing the number
of Tory MP's in the House. I will vote Liberal or NDP depending
on what the landscape looks like we need to rid ourselves of
the current administration

Cutting programs that for the most part we neither need nor want. Biggest problem is the volume of high paid people required whenever the government gets involved. Since 60% of program spending gets eaten up in administration it can be shown that public delivery of programs is not about helping various groups but simply to provide good paying jobs to large numbers of people with few if any marketable job skills.