The budget is still a sleep away but experts and eggheads of all kinds have been hard at work all day sending press releases to the Parliamentary Press Gallery to let us know they will be around come tomorrow for questions and quotes on the big book of numbers.
I am told the Railway Room, which is one of the committee rooms in the Centre Block on Parliament Hill, will be buzzing away with these people all day and so that might be a fun place to hang out for awhile.
For lack of anything else to write about at the moment I have compiled a list of these available talking heads. I will not be able to get to everybody but I am taking special requests via the comments function on this blog.
The lockup starts at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow and, naturally, you will not hear much from me until after we are let out, but I do promise to be typing away and will post when it is no longer illegal for me to do so.
Stay tuned!
Association of Canadian Community Colleges -James Knight, President
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives -Marc Lee, Senior Economist -David Macdonald, Alternative Federal Budget Coordinator
-Armine Yalnizyan, Senior Economist
Canadian Construction Association -Michael Atkinson, President -Pierre Boucher, COO
Canadian Council for International Co-operation (This one seemed really exciting at first because the press release mentioned the United Nations Secretary General. Alas, it was only in passing.) -Gerry Barr, President and CEO
Canadian Healthcare Association -Pamela Fralick, President and CEO
Canadian Medical Association -Dr. Robert Ouellet, President
Canadian Union of Public Employees (National) - Paul Moist, National President
Canadian Urban Transit Association -Michael Roschlau, President & CEO
Conseil du patronat du Québec -In Ottawa: Norma Kozhaya, Research Director and Chief Economist
-In Montreal: Daniel Audet, First Vice-President
Forest Products Association of Canada -Avrim Lazar, President and CEO
Fraser Institute (These people will not actually be in the Railway Room, but providing commentary nonetheless over the telephone from Vancouver) -Niels Veldhuis, Director of Fiscal Studies -Mark Mullins, Executive Director
Green Party of Canada -Elizabeth May, Leader -John Bennett, Director of Communications
Society of Management Accountants (CMA Canada) (It is unclear whether this expert will be in the room or just on the phone, but wow! What a lot of initials after his name.) - Richard Monk, C.Dir, CFE, CMC, CMA, FCMA, immediate Past Chair
Joanna Smith is a political reporter in the Ottawa bureau of the Toronto Star. This is her first time in a budget lockup, so follow along as she conveys the chaos through fresh and over/underwhelmed eyes.
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