Proposed all-in-one budget raises ethical concerns

On November 4, Canadians will see an “all-in-one” budget bill. It will include a revamped housing strategy, new climate change plans, immigration system reform, national projects, new defence plans and priorities, a deficit reduction strategy, tax changes that affect equity and cuts to existing federal programs. 

While all of the proposed measures are connected and relate to the economy, each one deserves public discussion on its own. This kind of bill is called an “omnibus” bill. I call it a bust for good governance. This approach to public policy in Canada is dangerous for democracy and national unity. Citizens who care about justice for all will need to be strategic, shrewd and courageous to get attention for important substantive policy choices in the time between the introduction of the budget and the final vote in parliament. 

A policy nightmare 

Lumping all these important policy changes into one bill makes it difficult for concerned citizens to know, let alone meaningfully engage, in directions that will shape Canada for years to come. It is much more difficult to change a policy within an omnibus bill.  

I have been part of concerted campaigns in the past to change housing, refugee and aid policies in budget bills. Small changes take huge effort. But not engaging in the budget debate may be worse because the focus on dollar figures can hide harmful consequences for vulnerable people or creation. Christians who want to see policies that care for creation, for example, will need to engage in the budget debate instead of having a separate public and parliamentary debate about how Canada could develop a sustainable economy that takes creation care seriously.  

Anything left out of this bill is less likely to get attention or funding. That reality increases the power of lobbyists who use back-door channels to get their favorite projects in the budget, whether they are a high priority from a public interest perspective or not. No household would manage its budget this way. Why do we let our governments get by with it?

Cuts that matter long-term 

I predict there will be significant reductions in international assistance, but no one is talking about that. International assistance is an area of public policy that is important for many faith communities engaged in global ministry. While the rationale will be short-term fiscal constraints, the impacts will be long-term.   

We are not having a well-informed debate about whether military strength is the best way to achieve peace. There are legitimate reasons for enhanced defence spending, but expanding a military-industrial complex to grow the economy should at least be weighed against other options that also create jobs, and lead to a flourishing life and peaceful co-existence instead of the likelihood of armed conflict.  

In general, ethical aspects of each of the important policy areas will get less attention than debates about how much money is being spent. This feeds the deeper ethos that economic growth is more important than anything else, at a time when we need a more integrated approach to how we will develop as a nation. Omnibus bills make it more difficult to assess who benefits, who pays and who loses.  

Will it pass?

Meanwhile, the media are already focused on the partisan political battle of getting enough votes for the final confidence vote on the budget. The Liberals will need to find a few supporters in other parties or convince a few MPs to stay away in order to prevent another election, which no one wants. Unfortunately, that is likely to get more attention than the substantive matters.  

There is also a good chance that one controversial item, whether it is most important or not, will get most of the attention because it polarizes leaders or some MPs. Citizens may need to creatively engage with their individual MPs in a non-partisan manner to let them know that the public interest is more important than party politics.  

This is a moment for more public engagement in making strategic choices for the future direction of Canada. While the omnibus budget bill will make it more challenging, I hope Canadian citizens find ways to force public and parliamentary debate on the substance rather than partisan political games.