Putting an end to March Madness

Telegraph Journal Editorial, Published Saturday September 4th, 2010 A1

The NDP has raised an alarming issue during this election campaign, one that it claims is costing taxpayers an extra $210 million a year.

Every March, government departments and agencies across New Brunswick participate in a spending orgy that would turn taxpayers' stomachs if they ever got a good glimpse.

Much of the spending is hard to account for because it occurs within the normal budget envelope of the respective department or agencies.

Dubbed March Madness, it's a common practice among governments, universities and other institutions working within an annual operating budget.

Fearing that a surplus will convince decision-makers to cut their operating budget the following year, managers order that every last cent in the budget be spent before the end of the month.

New office furniture, computers, BlackBerrys and other accessories are ordered, whether they are needed or not. Perfectly good equipment and supplies are thrown away to accommodate the influx of goods.

This is sickening for many reasons, not least of which is the cost to taxpayers.

It's difficult to know the true costs, but the NDP says it would stamp out tens of millions of dollars of this kind of waste.

Earlier this week, the NDP announced it would put an end to March Madness if elected, pushing each government department to publicly report its unbudgeted expenditures each year, something the Nova Scotia government began doing in 2009. Premier Darrell Dexter's NDP government reportedly reduced March Madness spending by $253 million.

Pierre Cyr, an NDP candidate in Nepisiguit and a former public servant, says he's seen firsthand a lot of government waste during March Madness.

His comments were echoed by Rob Moir, an economics professor at the University of New Brunswick and a long-time New Democrat supporter. He said it was an unhealthy practice for both government departments and universities that has to stop.

"It's a smart move," Moir said when asked about the New Democrats' campaign pledge. "We know we're going to have to find ways to do government better. It's not a bad idea."

The NDP is trying to position itself as the voice of middle-class families, as its campaign material suggests, and its take on March Madness helps distance itself from a reputation of being a tax-and-spend party.

The new nod to fiscal responsibility harkens back to its roots with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation party, when Tommy Douglas led a post-war Saskatchewan government that eliminated its annual budget deficit and slowly reduced the provincial debt.

The two major political parties should take note of the NDP's position on March Madness and follow suit. In politics, poaching good ideas never hurts, especially when it benefits voters.