Dear Diary: It's been a while since I've written but recent developments on the national political scene compel me to put pen to paper.

Over-Taxation

The Fiscal Monitor, published by the Finance Department, indicates that the feds ran a $1.4 billion surplus during the month of May. Add this amount to the $1.6 billion surplus from April and the government is $3 billion in the black for fiscal year 98/99. Even if this peters out a bit, the feds could still have a $10 billion surplus by next spring.

Too bad taxpayers won't see it. Either our interventionist Liberal friends will devise multi-billion dollar government programs for supposed problems or the recent pay-equity ruling for public servants will eat it up.

It steams me to think that nobody in government believes that this money should be returned to taxpayers.

Seniors Benefit Shell Game

Ottawa has announced that it will not proceed with the Seniors Benefit which would have merged the Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) programs into one new payment for elderly Canadians.

The CTF was supportive, in principle, of the Seniors Benefit, as it would have targeted assistance to those most in need. While we did have problems with some of the middle income cut-off levels, the idea was a step in the right direction.

But the government cowered under pressure from the Seniors' lobby and in turn continues to screw younger Canadians who continue to pay ever higher CPP premiums into a pyramid scheme that will likely collapse before they even get a penny from the plan.

"In the end, however, the inescapable conclusion was that to take money out of the future pension system at a time when government will be running balanced budgets and surpluses simply seemed to be the wrong choice," says Paul Martin.

But it's OK for him to take money from younger Canadians to pay for a pension plan they will likely never see This is clearly hypocritical logic!

Silence Is No Virtue

Over four months have passed since we first wrote Industry Minister John Manley about our Corporate Welfare study that showed Ottawa handed over billions to some of Canada's wealthiest and most successful companies. And two months has passed since we revealed that many of these companies are negligent, evasive and non-compliant when it comes to paying back their loans.

Instead of action or response, it's business as usual for Manley and crew as they continue to dole out money to corporate Canada. Hmmm, I wonder if they'll expand their operations now that we're running monthly surpluses

Testy, Testy!

Finally, the summer heat is causing tempers to flare and judgment to be clouded. Our friends at Bombardier fired off a 15-page information package to all MPs defending their government contracts and assistance packages in response to some of our research.

Bombardier goes to great pains to show that the couple hundred million dollars in direct government assistance they have received pales in comparison to their $8.5 billion in annual revenues. That's precisely our point! In one day of corporate reorganization, Bombardier could probably find this money under a few chairs instead of bellying up to the government trough.

Dear Diary, I need some fresh air.