There has been a lot of talk lately around Regina about a big new operation coming to town that could bring 400-600 jobs with it. It appears a "big outfit" in Ottawa is thinking about setting up shop out west in Regina.
No it's not Nortel Networks, Corel, or any other private business for that matter. It's the government department Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC).
In a province nearly filled to the brim with civil servants, what's a few hundred more And this "proposal" (which has never been fully denied by top politicians) has a tonne of support here in Saskatchewan.
A recent lead editorial in the Regina Leader Post was positively gushing about it. The editorial board is pushing for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to move to Regina, arguing it "makes eminent sense."
Of course, 400-600 new bureaucrats in Regina would be a huge shot in the arm for the local economy, but just imagine the cost. Think of all the civil servants who will simply refuse to leave Ottawa and will rightly demand significant severance. Imagine the cost of purchasing or leasing new office space and all the logistical hassles that go along with it.
The Leader Post gave three reasons for their unwavering support for moving INAC to Regina:
1) A majority of aboriginal people live in Western Canada. In actuality, Ontario has more aboriginals than any other province. However, 62 per cent of natives do live in the western provinces and territories. Let's be honest, what difference does it make if you're 600 kilometers from Indian affairs or 2000 It's not going to make a lick of difference for the average person, unless you happen to have a security pass to get into the building.
2) Moving the staff to Regina would be a "shrewd political move" for PM Paul Martin as he "strives to convince western Canadians he wants to end their sense of alienation from Ottawa." Are they serious Uproot hundreds of people from their homes and ship them to Saskatchewan while spending hundreds of millions in the process for no more than crass politics and public relations
We all know our politicians use our tax dollars to manipulate us, but it drops to all new lows of cynicism when our major daily newspapers are cheer-leading on the sidelines.
3) First Nations people have long complained about centralized decision-making in Ottawa/Hull. Oh please! Does the LP editorial board really believe having decisions made in Regina will feel any less centralized The "centralized" feel is due to the very existence of INAC - a new address on the letterhead will do nothing.
INAC is an antiquated, paternalistic government agency that squanders billions of our tax dollars every year. The entire system we have in place to deal with aboriginals needs to be overhauled. We can move INAC to Iqualuit and it won't make the system more responsive or foster "new relationships." And you can bet the farm that "moving" the department will mean little more than doubling the size of the department. So long as the political masters remain in Ottawa, they will have bureaucrats at their finger tips. If past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour, we can expect to see two INACs - one in Regina and one in Ottawa.
In the background is a general call for "de-centralization" of the federal bureaucracy as a cure for feelings of "alienation" in Atlantic provinces, the north, the prairies and pretty much everywhere else in the country. If only it were that simple.
Feelings of alienation will subside when we get governments that reflect the interests of all Canadians. Canada will be a more "inclusive" country when our politicians are held to account for their actions and people once again have confidence that their tax dollars are spent meaningfully. Moving head offices across the country would simply be an expensive exercise in empty symbolism.
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