Your government in Ottawa brought in the Federal Accountability Act to ensure that politicians and public office holders are accountable and transparent with tax dollars. The Auditor General was given more power to follow tax dollars administered by the public service, Crown corporations and other levels of government, such as First Nations. A majority of those receiving tax dollars have proven to respect the terms of accountability.
This past year, our government has focused on accountability to funding programs and government services. In an economy of labour shortages, the Minister of Human Resources put together a plan that would link the unemployed with available jobs. In some regions in Canada, employers needed workers, yet there were a high number of people on Employment Insurance (EI). A policy to ensure those collecting EI are aware of employment opportunities was implemented as part of the eligibility review. This has helped link people with jobs.
One of the outcomes of this strategy is a saving of more than $500 million in fraudulent EI Claims. This abuse of EI is not hurting government, but rather fellow workers and employers that legitimately pay into EI. If a worker cannot find work in their field of work, at the pay level they have previously received, then they can collect. But EI has definite guidelines that must be met and the system should not be used as a career choice.
Government services that Canadians rely on must be performed by civil servants that are accountable in their jobs at all times. A majority of civil servants are a credit to the people they serve, but it is the responsibility of elected representatives to ensure the integrity and performance of service providers.
Productivity and the costs of those providing services to Canadians need to be reviewed and reflective of the affordability of taxpayers. If we do not do this we will end up as Greece, Italy, or Spain, with a bankrupt government. I can ensure you this will not happen in Canada on our watch.
- Colin Mayes