A few days ago I read about the "Employment Insurance Financial ....somethingorother )..." I don't remember the exact name and the article has disappeared from my CBC News page...
Let me just summarize and if I don't get it right, I hope somebody will correct me:
The Government established this Department in 2008 with the mandates 1.) to determine the amount of EI payable by employees and employers so that the EI fund should always be at a break even position, 2.) To wisely invest overages if any and 3.) to administer a fund of 2 Billion dollars which the government would place at this Department's disposal.
A CEO was hired who in turn hired a few other people into well paid positions. Offices were rented and furniture purchased... The Group was ready to roll; One small problem: They had nothing to do... Even their CEO admitted that the workload did not amount to the original intent. These are the reasons why:
1.) The Government froze the EI contributions for 2009 and legislated only minor increases for 2010 and 2011. The effect of course was, that the first mandate of this Department became unnecessary.
2.) Due to this Government largess, the EI fund now sports a deficit of about 8.8 billion Dollars, so there is no "Surplus to invest and manage"
3.) The Government never did provide the promised 2 billion dollars, so this third mandate to manage this amount also became impossible to fulfill.
The up-shot is simply this: This newly created Department has spent about 3.5 million Dollars over the last three years and had literally absolutely nothing to do.
Yet for 2012 wage increases have been budgeted as well as a move to larger offices. The move to larger offices has been justified by the "possibility" that financial experts may have to be hired in the future. The 2012 budget includes Can$ 200,000 for hiring a "Human Resources" expert... They have 2 employees!!!.. for this number of employees you need an HR person??? the budget also includes Can$300,000 to hire a Public Relations firm to assist in explaining to the Public the work to be performed. Since they have done Nothing over the past three years this should be an impossible, or very easy task.
And I always thought that the Harper Government governed Canada wisely and prudently and did not waste taxpayers money....
If I am all wrong about this, if the CBC has erred and/or I misread the CBC's news report, would somebody please explain the reality to me?
I fervently hope that all the above is wrong... it sounds a bit like an April Fool's Report.. doesn't it?
When I read in the Austrian Newspapers about all the shenanigans carried on by Austrian politicians, I always smile smugly... since this could not happen in my country, Canada... Well for this Canadian story and for the Canadian Government's refusal to admit this failure and to disband this group of leeches I need to wipe the smug grin off my face.
I am a Canadian Pensioner...
I need more money...
Could the Canadian Government please hire me?
I have become an expert in doing absolutely nothing.
So I would probably do a good job in this department, and I'd be satisfied with Can$ 500,000 per year.
Bertstravels.
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