For a government that touted its record on public safety, this budget shows that its priority is anything but. Instead of cutting the bureaucrats they added when elected in 2006, the Conservatives took a direct assault on services Canadians need.

More than 1,100 people were cut at the Canada Border Services Agency, making it easier for escaped convicts and terrorists to get into Canada and endanger Canadians – but the Conservatives didn’t think about that.

“These cuts fully contradict the government’s supposed commitment to improved border security and completely undermine the announced emphasis on intelligence-led border security in the Canada-U.S. Beyond the Border Agreement,” said president of the Customs and Immigration Union, Jean-Pierre Fortin.

Cuts to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency include 600 people where 100 food inspection jobs are going to be wiped out putting the safety of our food into midair. In 2008, listeriosis struck Maple Leaf meats and it was proven that the contaminant took advantage of the plant due to lessened inspection. During the outbreak, more than 22 Canadians died because they ate what they thought were safe meat products.

“Now we’re back to square one,” NDP MP Malcolm Allen said. “It’s not a good day for consumers.”

The Conservatives say they are building a leaner government.

“What we are doing is eliminating waste and unnecessary duplication – and leaner, more affordable government is in the interest of all Canadians,” Treasury Board spokesperson, Jenn Gearey said.

If the Conservatives truly wanted a leaner government, they would and could have done the following:

• Reformed the electoral system to represent Canadians and cut the House of Commons down to 100 seats (instead of adding 30 seats in areas where Conservatives have good prospects)
• Abolished the senate and transferred these powers to the people
• Halved MP salaries and stripped perks for high-end bureaucrats
• Slashed golden MP pensions – including that of the Prime Minister (instead of attacking Canadian pensions)
• Fired a great bulk of the PMO which they built to be the largest in history.
• Cut spending in the propaganda department
• Not go ignorantly into an expensive F-35 contract when Americans even tell you it’s a bad idea
• Use facts instead of cutting and crippling Statistics Canada to base your decisions off of
• Based on these facts, realize that while Texas warns you their system doesn’t work, crime rates are at an all time low and we don’t need a $13 billion prison project to be offloaded onto the provinces.
• Get rid of useless ministries like the new Office of Religious Freedom

The above is only a sample of things they could have done to cut the massive deficit that they created and slim down the government that they made the biggest in our history. And not to mention all of the waste that the government has been committing to over the years.

But while Canadians are put at risk, we can always be reassured that the Prime Minister and his staff will be safe – and they will be in luxurious conditions too.

The government will build barricades around Parliament Hill for $9 million and build a glass dome up-top the House of Commons for $42 million.

Now, for the Tory attack room, considering you chose glass to build your new home, maybe it isn’t a good idea to throw rocks at the opposition anymore, you never know when that glass house of yours may break!

What do you think, how should the government have dealt with wasteful spending?