Jason Kenney heads to enemy territory and touts plans to wed job creation programs to the private sector

Minister Kenney doing what he does best, articulating the rationale for his policy choices, and not just preaching to the converted:

“I stand up in front of business audiences and say: you guys have been, to some extent, freeloading on the public training system,” Mr. Kenney told reporters after his talk.

But given that the crowd actually appeared to join in Mr. Kenney’s enthusiasm, it’s not clear that they’ve come to that realization yet.

It’s all part of the broader Conservative plan to downsize the federal government by eliminating its ability to run a surplus, and thus start up big flashy new programs, and to outsource its programs at every possible turn.

In that vein, Mr. Kenney once again reiterated that his government would be sticking to the low-tax commitments made in its platform. Chiefly, the commitment to, when the budget is balanced — as it very nearly is — to implement income splitting for families.

Asked whether these types of commitments — between lessening government revenue and devolving job training authority away from the federal government — would hobble future government’s ability to launch their own initiatives, the minister laughed, then coyly agreed.

“I would ask the question a different way, which is: If you massively increase spending, how can you give Canadians a tax break?” Mr. Kenney said.“The answer is, you can’t. That’s going to be the choice in the next election.”

Jason Kenney heads to enemy territory and touts plans to wed job creation programs to the private sector | National Post.