Game Plan

With the federal parliament getting underway, I figured this might be a good time to dig up the list of issues I compiled during the election campaign, so that we could have some benchmark to see what the government does to address/ameliorate these issues. Of course the list is just my own personal assessment (with some input from readers) of what is important, and it's open to change, but it's useful as a rough guide to what is, could, or should be on the federal government's plate.

Note: I have bolded the issues which correspond to the Conservatives 5 core priorities of giving money to parents, producing a 'wait-times guarantee', transferring consumption tax to income tax, increasing federal government accountability and introducing/increasing mandatory sentences for violent crime.

Fiscal management - Fiscal Balance / Debt Reduction
Global Issues - Peak Oil
Environment - Global Warming / Climate Change
Global Issues - Debt Relief
Global Issues - Use of Military
Social Issues - Health Care (enforcement of Canada Health Act, Size of Health Transfer)
Domestic Security (War on Terror)
Global Issues - Aids
Immigration
Economic Issues - Inequality (poverty, gini coefficient, social mobility, etc.)
Defense
Crime - War on Drugs vs. Harm Reduction
Global Issues - Amount/Nature of Foreign Aid
Aboriginal Affairs - Social Issues
Fiscal management - Taxation Policy (not how much taxation, what kinds of taxation)
Bilateral Issues - Trade: NAFTA, Chapter 11, Softwood Lumber Dispute, Border Crossing Infrastructure, etc.
Aboriginal Affairs - Governance Issues
Environment - Air/Water Pollution
Environment - Other (sustainability, genetically modified food, dumping of oil in shipping lanes, etc.)
Aboriginal Affairs - Spending Issues
Bilateral Issues - Security (Coordination, Rendition, Passport Requirements, etc.)
Democratic Reform - Electoral Reform
Crime - White Collar (national securities regulator, money laundering, tax shelters etc.)
Social Issues - Child Care
Democratic Reform - General (anti-corruption policies, whistleblower legislation etc.)
Intergovernmental Relations - Equalization
Social Issues - Gay marriage
Environment - Toxic Site Cleanup
Global Issues - International Organization(s)
Spending Programs - Granting Councils
Global Issues - Trade Agreements
Spending Programs - EI
Crime - Violent (mandatory sentences, etc.)
Cultural Issues - Communication (CRTC, media concentration, etc.)
Spending Programs - Infrastructure
Economic Issues - Size of Government
Environment - Health Issues (trans-fats, recreation, food supply safety, etc.)
National Unity
Intergovernmental Relations - Division of Powers, Federal vs. Provincial
Spending Programs - OAS
Spending Programs - CPP
Intergovernmental Issues - Municipal Affairs
Economic Issues - Corporate Subsidies
Cultural Issues - CBC
Education - Postsecondary
Social Issues - Animal Rights / Cruelty to Animals
Economic Issues - Intellectual Property
Social Issues - Abortion
Spending Programs - Regional Development Programs
Economic Issues - Housing Policy (affordable housing, role of CMHC, etc.)
Economic Issues - Fisheries
Economic Issues - Productivity
Economic Issues - Labour Relations
Democratic Reform - Senate
Education - Elementary and Secondary

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As parliament continues, the plan is to roughly track the introduction and progress of bills to see (and judge) what action the government is taking to deal with the issues I feel are important.