Federal budget needs breakdown, not buzzwords

While the 2017 federal budget received the stamp of approval from Principal Daniel Woolf for its purported support of science, innovation and post-secondary education, there are empty promises hidden beneath the trendy jargon and buzzwords.

Released in early March, the 2017 federal budget works to strengthen Canada’s economy by investing in smaller initiatives and strengthening the middle class.

At the heart of the budget is the Innovation and Skills Plan — a program that, among other things, proposes a new approach to work-integrated learning.

Co-operative education and work-integrated learning programs are a proven way for students to get the work experience they need to build their résumés and build a network of professional contacts. There’ll be a program to teach youth how to code and encourage more youth to enter STEM-related fields.

But while the plan sounds great on paper, especially for university students about to enter the workforce, it isn’t feasible. Although it invests in youth, it’s that same generation who’ll end up having to pay the price for current spending.

The Liberal government’s pockets are bleeding dry — the fiscal situation continues to deteriorate with projected deficits over the next four years jumping from approximately $84 billion to a whopping $101 billion, according to The National Post.

The Trudeau government’s track record of making empty promises, such as his abandoned promise of electoral reform, and to multiply government spending by at least three times, makes this budget another worrisome proposal.

To cover up this deficit the Trudeau government turn to hip buzzwords, littering their budget with meaningless jargon, like innovation, world-class, and “superclusters”.

Innovation, for instance, is a great word to throw around in the 21st century. According to the federal budget, “it is the key that unlocks possibilities and opportunities.

While this sounds exciting to a millennial’s ears, it’s basically emphasizing the need for Canada to stay up-to-date with the changing world. But Trudeau’s government’s plan to stay innovative is to spend money they don’t have.

It seems the federal budget caters to millennials but also believes that we can’t tell the difference between slogans and feasible goals. These budget plans impact our futures, so we deserve proper breakdowns of how these plans are going to pan out and how we’re impacted — we don’t need the buzzwords and empty promises.

While the 2017 budget looks hip and in with the global leaders, its overspending is leveraging future generations to make bad spending choices today.

Erika is The Journal’s Arts Editor. She’s a fourth-year English major.