How Ottawa Spends, 2011-2012

Continuing its tradition of timely and exemplary scholarship, the 2011-2012 edition of How Ottawa Spends examines national politics, priorities, and policies, with an emphasis on the austerity measures and budget-cutting strategy of the Harper Conservative government; it also includes an analysis of the outcome of the federal election in May 2011. Leading scholars from across Canada examine a new era of "life under the knife" in the context of the Harper agenda after five years in power, the partisan calculus of a minority Parliament, and a deep global recession still in crisis mode. Given the budget-related pressure for an election, the book poses questions about the degree to which the budget agenda involves the political arts of "trimming fat" versus "slicing the pork" of partisan spending. Several closely linked political, policy, and spending realms are examined, including economic stimulus, environmental assessment, energy and climate change, health care, science and technology, immigration, and northern strategy (including affordable housing). Related governance issues such as the use of new media, regulatory budget cuts, Industry Canada as an economic regulator, and federal compensation costs are also discussed in detail.