Comments on: Arctic is part of budget http://polarwarming.ca/blog/2009/02/arctic-is-part-of-budget/ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:56:52 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Adam http://polarwarming.ca/blog/2009/02/arctic-is-part-of-budget/comment-page-1/#comment-25200 Adam Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://polarwarming.ca/blog/?p=354#comment-25200 Kristin raises a great point that all too often government budgets have a lengthy list of initiatives with price-tags attached and very little transparency where an average person can view the timeline of such measures unfold. That being said, the Liberal Party made a motion to the most recent federal budget requiring three updates over the coming year as to the overall progress of the stimulus actions mentioned in the budget. In regards to the Mackenzie Valley Gas Project, this mega project has been in the works for years and from current reports will be held up till sometime near the end of 2009 for an environmental and socioeconomic impact assessment to be completed. This might well be an endless money pit as the project has been invisioned since the 1970s, although if inacted would provided an economic boost to Northern Canada. Kristin raises a great point that all too often government budgets have a lengthy list of initiatives with price-tags attached and very little transparency where an average person can view the timeline of such measures unfold. That being said, the Liberal Party made a motion to the most recent federal budget requiring three updates over the coming year as to the overall progress of the stimulus actions mentioned in the budget.

In regards to the Mackenzie Valley Gas Project, this mega project has been in the works for years and from current reports will be held up till sometime near the end of 2009 for an environmental and socioeconomic impact assessment to be completed. This might well be an endless money pit as the project has been invisioned since the 1970s, although if inacted would provided an economic boost to Northern Canada.

]]> By: kristin http://polarwarming.ca/blog/2009/02/arctic-is-part-of-budget/comment-page-1/#comment-25189 kristin Sun, 22 Feb 2009 07:25:02 +0000 http://polarwarming.ca/blog/?p=354#comment-25189 This is the first budget that I've ever looked at in my adult life. I mostly rely on reports like yours to point out items in a budget. But in all honesty it would be great if there was some easy to access website where you could follow the money right down to the last contractor getting paid. In the U.S. they've set up www.recovery.gov to follow their stimulus money. We'll see how well that works I guess. It would be really great to be able to follow this money and see exactly how it gets spent. For example: $37.6 million over 2 years "to help streamline the decision-making process surrounding the Mackenzie Valley Gas Project" What the heck does THAT mean? "streamline the decision-making process" Kind of vague. What is going on with that anyway? Aren't there some serious environmental concerns around that project? This is the first budget that I’ve ever looked at in my adult life. I mostly rely on reports like yours to point out items in a budget. But in all honesty it would be great if there was some easy to access website where you could follow the money right down to the last contractor getting paid. In the U.S. they’ve set up http://www.recovery.gov to follow their stimulus money. We’ll see how well that works I guess.

It would be really great to be able to follow this money and see exactly how it gets spent. For example: $37.6 million over 2 years “to help streamline the decision-making process surrounding the Mackenzie Valley Gas Project” What the heck does THAT mean? “streamline the decision-making process” Kind of vague. What is going on with that anyway? Aren’t there some serious environmental concerns around that project?

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