Budget 2012

[DBA]

Coyne has lost his marbles and is just babbling incoherently. Harper promised to cut the GST and unlike the Liberals promise to abolish it he followed through. That exposes statements like "discarded every principle it had ever held and every commitment it had ever made" to be the overheated rantings of a fool.

Overall I like the budget with some reservations in how some of it will be carried out on the ground. Lots of areas they could botch things or the end results not be in line with what was intended.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I still want to know if it means I can extend to 65  8)

I already have higher ups panicking ;D

 

[GAP]

I'm amazed that nobody in the media has picked up on the EI changes.

They are killing, abeit slowly, the perpetual cycle of work a few weeks, collect many more....especially in the Maritimes. The Liberals brought in the changes, mainly to get votes, but to overcome the fishing/fish plant workers doing short term seasonal work, then having nothing much for the rest of the year.

The EI system changes allow workers to get less of a clawback while they draw for part time work....great. It gives more incentive for the people to find at least, part time work. I suspect that the changes will also work towards doing away with the endless cycle of one claim after another. I'll wait and see, but it maybe the first nibble of many to bring the system back to an employment insurance program rather than a social program.

 

[DBA]

I'm amazed that nobody in the media has picked up on the EI changes.

They are killing, abeit slowly, the perpetual cycle of work a few weeks, collect many more....especially in the Maritimes. The Liberals brought in the changes, mainly to get votes, but to overcome the fishing/fish plant workers doing short term seasonal work, then having nothing much for the rest of the year.

The EI system changes allow workers to get less of a clawback while they draw for part time work....great. It gives more incentive for the people to find at least, part time work. I suspect that the changes will also work towards doing away with the endless cycle of one claim after another. I'll wait and see, but it maybe the first nibble of many to bring the system back to an employment insurance program rather than a social program.

I can only see it helping if it leads to more employment which it just might. Higher employment in a given region means more weeks of work to qualify for EI and fewer weeks of benefits. Looking at the current EI Program Characteristics it would take a fairly large move to do it however, especially in regions with very high unemployment.

 

[a_majoor]

WRT the idea of a 17% "pay cut"; the resources have just been reallocated. This unwinding of the decades old "progressive project" is needed, since you would have lost a lot more than 17% when it came time to pay for the pension tsunami and various other boondoggles that were implemented without proper consideration of the long term costs. (Pension reform alone solves a problem that would have potentially ballooned into a $100 billion dollar/year expenditure).

I am willing to bite the bullet now in order to see to my long term welfare and that of my children.

 

[larry Strong]

Whats not to love about losing severance pay and having to pay 50% for the same pension?

Why should I pay for your pension??????? 50/50 split is still way better than you will get on the street, where most plans only cover a small percentage of what you contribute.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Another way to look at pensions is that cuts and increased contributions are the cost of ensuring there is a pension.  People can lose most or all of their pensions to insolvency.  That can happen to private and municipal pensions.  I wonder how many people who plan to collect a municipal pension plan on retiring to some other less costly community so they won't be paying property taxes to support their own pensions?

Provincial pensions should be slightly harder to break, but people can vote with their feet - move to another province - rather than pay ever increasing taxes for fewer real services.  Not all provinces are likely to have the same degree of pension funding difficulties.  As tax revenues fall, the cycle becomes more vicious.

Federal pensions should be almost impossible to break, except that there isn't much difference between losing 50% of a pension and having a pension paid in dollars that have had half of their value inflated away.  Frankly, the thought of a bunch of well-off pensioners all paying exorbitant taxes to fund each others' pensions is amusing - kind of like the parable about trying to create an economy based on doing each other's laundry.

I'm not sure from where the assumption springs that fewer future taxpayers are going to cheerfully go along with paying higher taxes even while they work for lower wages and benefits.  They will have options.

I reiterate what I've stated earlier: people who've lived part of their working lives from about 1940 to present have not been paying the full shot of their benefits - by definition, since we've had to borrow to cover costs.  The only place for those costs to be made good is the future.  How is it conceivable that any rational person should expect to take more out than he put in and sit their with a smug expression while someone who wasn't alive to take part in the discussion bears the costs?  So we punted the costs yesterday; today we lose something to make up those costs.  That's just and fair, isn't it?  We can't assume that economic expansion is going to make up all the difference - it hasn't, so I assume it won't.

 

[GAP]

Not sure if this got posted or not....

Budget: Soldiers avoid direct hit but Defence Department, diplomats to feel budget blitz
By Lee Berthiaume, Postmedia News March 29, 2012
Article Link

OTTAWA — While Canada's frontline military force has emerged untouched in this year's federal budget and reservists were provided some relief, thousands of Defence Department civilians and contractors could be on the chopping block.

At the same time, the country's diplomatic footprint is set to shrink as the government will close embassies and other missions and end Canadian participation in a number of international organizations, while millions in foreign aid will be slashed.

As expected, National Defence is facing the largest cuts of all departments in terms of sheer numbers, at more than $1.1 billion by 2014-15. This is over and above the $1.1 billion the government already had planned to slash from the department's $21-billion budget this coming fiscal year.

Few details were provided, but by maintaining the current level of 68,000 regular force members and 27,000 reservists, the government appears to have taken retired general Andrew Leslie's advice to maintain the frontline force and instead cut back on the $2.7 billion spent on contractors, consultants and private-service providers.

The Defence Department also may look to sell or otherwise dispose of some of the property it currently holds in different parts of the country and change the way it purchases equipment.

On that front, the government is taking $3.54 billion it was planning to spend over the next seven years on military vehicles and other items and saving it for a future date. This largely reflects delays in a number of projects.

Meanwhile, the government is planning to help offset hiring and training costs incurred by companies that employ reservists who subsequently are deployed on military operations.

"Canada's reservists make extraordinary sacrifices to keep our country safe," Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said in his budget speech to the Commons. "But potential long absences and added costs mean some employers will not hire them. These brave Canadians should not be disadvantaged."
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[Edward Campbell]

A report, reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act from the Globe and Mail, on the fallout from the budget:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/just-days-after-harpers-budget-the-axe-begins-to-fall/article2388765/

Just days after Harper’s budget, the axe begins to fall

STEVEN CHASE

OTTAWA— From Monday's Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Apr. 01, 2012

The Harper government’s austerity budget will start cutting a swath through the federal government this week as bureaucrats begin receiving letters informing them their position is being eliminated.

One public-sector union says it has received word that employees in the Department of National Defence and three government agencies will be sent formal notices on Wednesday telling them their posts will disappear.

In the March 29 budget, the Conservatives announced that the government will chop 19,200 public-service jobs as part of a bid to balance the budget in several years. About 7,000 are expected to be eliminated through attrition – as people retire – leaving about 12,000 jobs facing the axe.

The letters that unlucky bureaucrats are beginning to receive are not layoff notices and not everyone who receives one will be out of a job. Those affected may be able to find work elsewhere in their department as people retire, for instance, and it will take until at least this summer before Ottawa begins handing out pink slips.

Gary Corbett, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, said the notices will nevertheless turn “people’s lives topsy-turvy” when they learn they could lose their jobs.

Departments and agencies have been bracing for cuts for months. As part of pre-budget preparations, each had submitted recommendations, as requested, to the Harper government on how Ottawa could cut 5 per cent, or 10 per cent, from their respective operations.

Statistics Canada, the national statistics agency, informed its staff late last week that it has been ordered to chop $33.9-million from its planned spending by April 1, 2014.

That’s a cut of roughly 7.5 per cent when compared to Statscan’s estimated budgetary spending for 2012-13, which was previously pegged at $454.7-million

“This reduction will be implemented progressively, beginning with $8.3-million on April 1, 2012, rising to $18.3-million on April 1, 2013, in order to achieve the full reduction by April 1, 2014,” chief statistician Wayne Smith wrote employees last week in a memo.

Mr. Smith acknowledged this will mean job cuts at Statscan – an abandonment of the agency’s no-layoff policy.

“The actions to be taken involve a mixture of new efficiency measures and program reductions. Achieving the required savings will necessarily mean a reduction in Statistics Canada’s work force.”

Mr. Corbett, whose union represents more than 57,000 professionals and scientists in the public service, is warning Ottawa against cutting staff in the safety and security fields, such as food inspectors, scientists and financial auditors.

His union will be documenting what services Canadians will lose through the cuts at the website safetyeh.ca.

One cabinet minister suggested last Friday that the cuts will be more spread out across Canada than previously thought. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird told a business audience that of the 12,200 job reductions, only 4,800 will occur in the Ottawa area. The Ottawa-area minister said these would be spread out over three years.

I think we can safely assume that the cuts have been planned for some time and that, in DND anyway, they are being managed at levels below Ottawa.

 

[matthew1786]

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120404/defence-department-jobs-chopping-block-120404/

The DND is cutting approximately 1100 civilian jobs.

 

[mad dog 2020]

Union: Ottawa to cut 1,100 civilian Defence Department jobs

 

[Remius]

Had our big meeting this morning for our L1.

 

[ModlrMike]

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120404/defence-department-jobs-chopping-block-120404/

The DND is cutting approximately 1100 civilian jobs.

Nothing in the article states that there will be 1100 unemployed DND civilians at the end of the process. What it does say is that DND is eliminating 1100 positions. Many of these are currently unfilled, many more will be wrapped up when folks retire in the next three years, still more will be term positions that won't be renewed. The actual firing of people should be relatively small.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Nothing in the article states that there will be 1100 unemployed DND civilians at the end of the process. What it does say is that DND is eliminating 1100 positions. Many of these are currently unfilled, many more will be wrapped up when folks retire in the next three years, still more will be term positions that won't be renewed. The actual firing of people should be relatively small.

I agree.  During my time in FMF there were numerous retirements, none had been back filled to my departure last APS.  There were two terms that were let go in 2010, but I expect most of the losses will be exactly as you describe.

 

[DAA]

http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3525320

At least 16 Department of National Defence jobs in North Bay are being slashed as the federal government rolls out public service cuts outlined in its recent budget.

Kevin McNama, president of the Local 635 of the Union of National Defence Employees, said the area support unit for Northern Ontario is being eliminated. He said the unit employs civilians who provide support to reserves in the North including those at the M.L. Troy Armoury in North Bay. The positions include clerical workers and vehicle technicians.

McNama said another six jobs in Sault Ste. Marie are also being chopped. He said the Northern Ontario support unit is among five across the country that are being eliminated. McNama said it’s unknown who will be doing the work once the jobs are gone.

The union says approximately 1,000 jobs across the country are being cut.

The jobs will be phased out over three years, with 346 positions gone this year, 671 more of the positions disappearing in 2013-2014, and the remaining 156 in 2014-2015. McNama couldn’t say when the local cuts would take effect.

The defence department cuts are among details that emerged Wednesday from federal departments regarding public service jobs. It was also reported that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is cutting 650 jobs, including 475 positions this year.

The government announced plans in its recent budget to cut 19,000 public service jobs in order to save $5 billion.

Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Jay Apsin said late Wednesday that he still hadn’t heard back from the defence department about the extent of the job losses in North Bay. He said the department was working on ensuring workers were informed first.

Apsin said he doesn’t like to see jobs lost in the riding, but noted that the government is scaling back on national defence in light of the winding down of the mission in Afghanistan. He said spending on national defence had been significantly increased since 2005.

Additional information from the Department of National Defence was not available at press time.

 

[Stoker]

Here's the MARGEN for the Navy cuts

SUBJ: ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN 2012 - RCN IMPACT
1.  ON 29 MARCH, THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED ITS ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN 2012, AND THEREIN THE MEASURES TO BE TAKEN BY CF / DND UNDER THE STRATEGIC REVIEW 2010 (SR) AND DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN 2011 (DRAP). THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE RCN IN AIDING THE GOVERNMENT TO RETURN TO A BALANCED BUDGET OVER THE MEDIUM TERM IS SIGNIFICANT AND REDUCTION TARGETS WILL NO DOUBT HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR DEFENCE TEAM, BOTH MILITARY AND CIVILIAN.  OUR APPROACH TO MANAGING THESE IMPACTS HAS BEEN BASED ON ALMOST TWO YEARS OF CAREFUL ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF OPTIONS TO POSITION THE NAVY FOR SUCCESS.  THE RCN EXAMINED THE BREADTH OF ITS ACTIVITIES AND IDENTIFIED OPTIONS THAT WERE EVALUATED
CAREFULLY AGAINST ITS CORE OUTCOME - THE GENERATION OF MISSION-READY, COMBAT-CAPABLE MARITIME FORCES.  OUR WORK RE-AFFIRMED THAT THE PREPONDERANCE OF RCN ACTIVITIES ARE ALREADY WELL ALIGNED WITH THE RCN MISSION AND HENCE WITH THE CANADA FIRST DEFENCE STRATEGY.  BUT THE REVIEW ALSO IDENTIFIED WHERE ADJUSTMENTS WERE NEEDED, ESPECIALLY IN BUILDING TOWARDS THE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE ONE-NAVY RCN OF TOMORROW
2.  WE ARE OPERATING IN A TIME OF CHANGE, BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE EXTREMELY STRONG LABOUR MANAGEMENT RELATIONS IN THE RCN FORMATIONS, NURTURED OVER TIME THROUGH A TRUST BASED COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO THE BUSINESS OF THE RCN, AND BY THE STRONG SUPPORT OF THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AND ENGAGED LABOUR LEADERSHIP, WILL SUPPORT RENEWAL IN TERMS OF FINDING EFFICIENCIES, PRESERVING THE OPERATIONAL READINESS OF THE
FLEET, AND INTRODUCING NEW CAPABILITIES ARISING FROM CFDS AND THE NATIONAL SHIPBUILDING PROCUREMENT STRATEGY.
3. NEW BUSINESS PROCESSES, FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT AND PRIORITIZATION OF OUR EFFORTS ARE AT THE HEART OF OFFSETTING THE ADDITIONAL PRESSURES OF PERSONNEL REDUCTIONS AND CHANGES TO BASELINE FUNDING.  TO ACHIEVE THE EFFICIENCIES OF A ONE NAVY ORGANIZATION, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES HAVE BEEN SET IN MOTION.  THESE CHANGES INCLUDE THE STAND-UP OF THE NAVAL TRAINING SYSTEM UNDER A SINGLE COMMANDER,
THE ADOPTION OF PERSONNEL COORDINATION CENTRES ON BOTH COASTS UNDER A SINGLE NATIONAL AUTHORITY, THE FORMALIZATION OF THE MARITIME COMPONENT COMMANDER IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS, THE DESIGNATION OF A SINGLE AUTHORITY RESPONSIBLE FOR FLEET SCHEDULING AND READINESS MANAGEMENT, AND THE APPOINTMENT OF THE DIRECTOR CANADIAN SUBMARINE FORCES TO OVERSEE THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR SUBMARINE CAPABILITY.
4. WITH REGARD TO RCN DIVESTMENTS DIRECTLY ARISING FROM SR AND DRAP, I HAVE ORDERED THE FOLLOWING INITIATIVES TO BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY:
A.  RESHAPE THE NAVAL RESERVE (NAVRES) TO TRANSITION FROM ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION TO A MORE BALANCED STRATEGIC RESERVE, RETAINING A NAVAL RESERVE TRAINED CLASS A TARGET STRENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 3500 PERSONNEL.  MEASURES WILL INCLUDE A REDUCED RELIANCE ON RESERVE FORCE CLASS B PERSONNEL, NOTING THAT 365 CLASS C RESERVISTS IN SUPPORT OF KINGSTON CLASS CREWING ARE NOT AFFECTED.  REDUCTIONS WILL INCLUDE THE DIVESTMENT OF CERTAIN CAPABILITIES IN FAVOUR OF REDIRECTING THOSE CORE SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES TOWARDS NAVAL RESERVE DOMESTIC SAFETY
AND SECURITY TASKS. MEASURES INCLUDE ALSO THE DIVESTMENT OF FORCE PROTECTION POSITIONS IN HALIFAX AND ESQUIMALT.  SEPARATE
CORRESPONDENCE WILL FOLLOW IN DUE COURSE THAT EXPLICITLY DETAILS THESE CHANGES
B. MERGE ADAC (PACIFIC) AND ADAC (ATLANTIC) INTO ONE CENTRE IN HALIFAX, IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES, REDUCE OVERHEAD AND ELIMINATE REDUNDANCIES
C. RATIONALIZE FMFS, RESHAPING THE TWO WORKFORCES TO BEST MEET THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF THE FLEET
D. REDUCE REPAIR-AND-OVERHAUL SUPPORT FOR SELECTED DDG 280 WARFARE CAPABILITIES AND RELATED TRAINING MUNITIONS, CEASE SUPPORT TO THE DDG 280 COMBAT CONTROL SYSTEM, AS WELL AS CONTINUE A TARGETED APPROACH TO REPAIR-AND-OVERHAUL OF SELECTED LEGACY FRIGATE SYSTEMS THAT ARE DUE TO BE UPDATED AS PART OF THE ONGOING HCM PROGRAMME
E. REDUCE RELIANCE ON OVERTIME, TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL AND CONTRACTED SERVICES, AND REQUIRE LEADERS AND MANAGERS AT ALL LEVELS TO COMPENSATE THROUGH CLOSER PLANNING OF THEIR RESOURCES AND
F. RATIONALIZE AND REDUCE CIVILIAN PERSONNEL IN NAVAL HQS AND BASE SUPPORT STAFFS.
5. THE REDUCTION BY WAY OF WORK FORCE ADJUSTMENT IS EXPECTED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 44 EMPLOYEES OVER THREE YEARS.  USING HISTORICAL ATTRITION VALUES AND ASSESSING THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF OUR WORKFORCE, WE ANTICIPATE BEING ABLE TO REDUCE OUR WORKFORCE FURTHER BY ATTRITION IN ORDER TO REMAIN WITHIN OUR CIVILIAN SALARY FUNDING ALLOCATIONS.  AS A DIRECT RESULT OF AN AGGRESSIVE WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY BY THE
RCN OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 12 MONTHS, THE NAVY HAS ALREADY DEMONSTRATED A SUSTAINED REDUCTION OF FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS TO BE CREDITED AGAINST THE DOWNSIZING.
6. I MUST NOTE, THOUGH, THAT AS FURTHER PLANNING UNFOLDS AND IF
ATTRITION FAILS TO MEET TARGETED EXPECTATIONS, THERE MAY NEED TO BE MORE WFA BUT WE WILL RESPECT THE WORKFORCE ADJUSTMENT DIRECTIVE AND THE COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS.  A NATIONAL LEVEL, RCN CIVILIAN WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT BOARD WILL REPORT TO ME THE PRIORITY OF STAFFING PROCESSES IN ORDER TO ENSURE OUR HUMAN RESOURCES ARE DIRECTED TO THE PRIORITY TASKS OF THE RCN, WHILE MEETING THE TARGETED REDUCTIONS DEMANDED BY SR AND DRAP.
7. A CRUCIAL ELEMENT OF OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, FORMALLY BEGUN TODAY AS A RESULT OF THE GOVERNMENT’S ANNOUNCEMENT, IS THE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN, AS WELL AS TO HONOUR OUR FUNDAMENTAL LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS THOSE WHO ARE IMPACTED DIRECTLY BY THE MEASURES OUTLINED ABOVE.
8.  ADMITTEDLY, A GREAT MANY PERSONNEL ARE EITHER DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THESE CHANGES.  REST ASSURED THAT YOUR
MANAGERS, SUPERVISORS AND DIVISIONAL LEADERS WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH YOU IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS AHEAD WITH THE CARING LEADERSHIP THAT I EXPECT OF THEM. THEY WILL HELP YOU TO MAKE THOSE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO BE FOUND EITHER WITHIN DND OR ELSEWHERE.
9.  CHANGE IS SELDOM EASY.  BUT THESE CHANGES WERE NECESSARY TO
ENSURE THAT THE RCN PLAYS ITS ROLE IN THE FISCAL MANAGEMENT OF OUR GREAT COUNTRY, BUT ALSO TO ENSURE THAT THE RCN REMAINS QUOTE READY, AYE READY UNQUOTE TO ACCOMPLISH ITS CORE MISSION, NOT JUST TODAY AS YOU CONTINUE TO ENSURE THROUGH YOUR SUPERB EFFORTS, DEDICATION AND RESOLVE, BUT ALSO FOR TOMORROW THROUGH THE FLEET THAT THE CANADA FIRST DEFENCE STRATEGY WILL DELIVER.  I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR STELLAR SUPPORT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE RCN, AND MOST SPECIFICALLY, I PRAISE YOUR STOIC DETERMINATION THROUGHOUT THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE PAST FEW MONTHS.  FOR THOSE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES, I OFFER MY MOST SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND EFFORTS.  I KNOW THAT LIFE AND CAREER TRANSITIONS WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT AND VOW TO ENSURE
THAT OUR PERSONNEL SUPPORT AGENCIES DIRECT THEIR RESOURCES TO YOUR ASSISTANCE.  I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DISCUSS ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS WITH YOUR MANAGER AND TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT YOU THROUGH THE CHANGE PROCESS. FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE CHANGES AT DND/CF AND ON THE RESOURCES, CAN BE FOUND ON THE FOCUS ON CHANGE SITE AT HTTP://DT-ED.MIL.CA/CHANGE-CHANGEMENT/INDEX-ENG.ASP.
10. AS UPDATES OCCUR, I WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU INFORMED OF OUR WAY FORWARD.
11. VADM PAUL MADDISON, COMMANDER RCN SENDS

 

[jollyjacktar]

C. RATIONALIZE FMFS, RESHAPING THE TWO WORKFORCES TO BEST MEET THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF THE FLEET
D. REDUCE REPAIR-AND-OVERHAUL SUPPORT FOR SELECTED DDG 280 WARFARE CAPABILITIES AND RELATED TRAINING MUNITIONS, CEASE SUPPORT TO THE DDG 280 COMBAT CONTROL SYSTEM, AS WELL AS CONTINUE A TARGETED APPROACH TO REPAIR-AND-OVERHAUL OF SELECTED LEGACY FRIGATE SYSTEMS THAT ARE DUE TO BE UPDATED AS PART OF THE ONGOING HCM PROGRAMME
E. REDUCE RELIANCE ON OVERTIME, TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL AND CONTRACTED SERVICES, AND REQUIRE LEADERS AND MANAGERS AT ALL LEVELS TO COMPENSATE THROUGH CLOSER PLANNING OF THEIR RESOURCES AND

That sounds like the death knell of the 280's starting to sound serioulsy with the first of the nails being hammered home, and the FMF's sound as if they have a nasty cough and a mysterious black mole appearing suddenly on their skins.  Of course we all knew the 280's days were numbered, but to see the start announced gives me a chill.

 

[Occam]

That sounds like the death knell of the 280's starting to sound serioulsy with the first of the nails being hammered home, and the FMF's sound as if they have a nasty cough and a mysterious black mole appearing suddenly on their skins.  Of course we all knew the 280's days were numbered, but to see the start announced gives me a chill.

That's why there's the big push to get the first four hulls through FELEX - they'll be capable of taking over the command ship responsibilities from the IRO class so they can be paid off.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Yes, indeed.  Sad times to see the old girls break a hip.

 

[GAP]

Why are we funding US universities?

Harper government slashes Canadian Studies funding for U.S. universities

The federal government has supported Canadian education abroad for over 30 years, but now universities across the U.S. are being refused funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Alexis Stoymenoff  Apr 12th, 2012
Article Link

Canadian Studies programs at universities across the U.S. are facing serious cutbacks this year, with the rollback of an important grant program facilitated by Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs.

"This is the first year in history that the government has denied funding dozens of grant applications from across the U.S.," said Nadine Fabbi, the associate director of Canadian Studies at the Seattle-based University of Washington.

"These grants have significantly strengthened Canada's voice in the U.S. on issues that range from the Keystone XL pipeline to water resources to Arctic sovereignty," Fabbi said. 

"It is incredible to think that the Department of Foreign Affairs is willing to fund $200,000 a year for bamboo to feed panda bears, but will not support enhanced international education about and understanding of Canada," she said.

Fabbi wasn't alone in her surprise: many other universities have recently found out that important grants have fallen through.

“We’ve been receiving support from the Canadian government for at least 30 years,” said Don Alper, director of the Center for Canadian-American Studies at Western Washington University.

His institution is one of the few American schools with extensive academic programming about Canada. But this year, the Canadian government refused his Center’s grant applications.

“We heard a lot about delays and reorganizations and things like that," he said. After speaking with the people who normally work on his programs, he explained, it became "pretty clear that this was part of a larger budget revision or budget reviews going on at the federal government.”

“They didn’t tell us anything specifically about why we weren’t funded. They just said we weren’t funded.”

DFAIT’s Canadian Studies Grant Program: what does it do?

Canadian Studies grants to U.S. schools are administered through the Canadian Embassy and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). In addition to individual research grants for students and professors, DFAIT has traditionally offered institutional and program grants intended to “promote research, exchanges, teaching, and program activity that contribute to a better knowledge and understanding of Canada, its relationship with the United States, or its international affairs.”

"The grants have brought hundreds of American students to Canada to understand the differing values and social models of the country," Fabbi said.
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