I had not really thought to weigh in on this subject but having worked at home for the better part of 1.5 decades I do have an opinion actually. When I took on the job of proofreading in my thirties and in some cases editing and proofreading, the plan was for me to work at home coming in three mornings a week for a brief time to pick up my work and deliver my work. Modern computer technology has rendered that type of coming in to be unnecessary although it is always good to have face to face comments so I think coming in would still be the best option personally. When I replaced the permanent proofreader I did start to come in every morning until noon and worked at home in the afternoon. My lunch break was the trip home every day. That still fulfilled my personal preference of being with my children up until they went to school and then being there when they returned from school. I think the government has a right to expect people to be in their office with their colleagues every day personally but three times a week is really a gift to people and they should see it as such and grab it and run back to work with it. The new employees who work full time in the office have a right to that teaching aspect of the job received from "older" employees so that they can quickly learn the ropes as they are the future (do not deprive youth of this valuable lesson). The Pandemic was an eye opener for all of us but we can quickly return to the style of living that preceded it because that is the best way. Not all jobs lend themselves to working at home and the government shouldn't be subsidizing such work types when they really belong in the collegial environment of a workplace. As the generation behind me (the baby boomers - I do not really count because I was born two weeks after VJ day and I skipped a grade putting me right in with the War Babies so to speak) ages and ceases to exist, that huge block of people will no longer dominate the scene and the medical care will return to a normal level without all those aging people requiring a vast amount of care. That will change the dynamics of the working world back more or less to what existed when I was young and most people were young. The working world will expand once again so to speak to dominate industry and production and the dynamics will be so different to what exists presently. So back to work in the office unless your job was already mostly at home before the pandemic and three days a week is a gift really as it should be five! When I did stay home I went to school one day every week and helped in the classroom of my child with whatever task although with my youngest daughter that ended up being computers since they were a new item, teachers not yet really familiar with them and I had already been involved with computers for about a decade in my working career prior to children. The schools are important and parents can serve a useful purpose in them as unpaid labour to keep those costs down if they are working at home (I just made up the time in the evening proofreading!). Certainly my time spent doing remedial English reading with French Immersion students was time well spent (it was interesting though that in my little class of twelve students only two were girls).
Efficiency is the most important item in government, Brian Mulroney was right about that. Tax payer money is being used and the government should be as careful as it can be. We work hard for our money and it must be well spent. Increase the GST back up to 7% or 10% and keep the income tax level itself low. That is taxing the rich efficiently. There are enough safeguards in the GST to keep it from inflicting pain on people with lower wages. Probably one needs to look at the leveling of GST and see whether or not that percentage can be increased on items like alcohol and cigarettes and other luxury items. If you legalize drugs then put a substantial GST (like 40%) on that as well (and yes I know that encourages black market but go after the dealers, confiscate their drugs (test them to be sure they are not tainted) and sell them, helps to pay off the national debt!). One can see the benefits to living in Canada and they are huge. We are so much better off than other countries.
So I need the Conservatives to prove that they are Brian Mulroney conservatives interested in good efficient government. I do not want to see them supporting radical right wingers at any time (it is better if hard-line conservatives remain hidden in the wood work (their extreme views do not serve a useful purpose in a democratic society) and definitely not camping out in downtown Ottawa). Do not expect to be in power more than one term because you are always going to do the hard things; reduce waste in government and that generally puts you out of power but the efficiency stays because the Liberals know very well that things like the GST have benefited Canada enormously.
Sunday once again and I must get my mind back into Sunday; one does struggle on occasion to remember this is the Lord's Day. Church on YouTube and yesterday I watched the next lecture in the series and we are discussing Jerusalem. I need to read Judges, 1st and 2nd Kings (and perhaps nip into Jeremiah and Ezekiel when watching the lecture the second time through). Absolutely fascinating this series The Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah from Tel Aviv University on YouTube. I always knew the story but this in depth look with the Bible, archaeological findings and the extant historical documents is an eyeopener. The days move by quickly and sometimes I do lose track of time and the date!
God be with the world as we move forward in time - the distances between countries has shrunk enormously but the chasm in political differences is huge with so many terrorists greedily trying to suck up power but primarily for the money it gives them they have no desire to make the world a better place for the bulk of the population only themselves and their adherents.
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