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Will Housing Count in the Federal Budget?

6:33 PM, February 25, 2008

Wellesley Institute Pre-Budget Backgrounder

On Tuesday, federal Finance Minister James Flaherty will deliver the 2008 budget.

Tuesday is also, perhaps more importantly, the birthday of the great French novelist and activist Victor Hugo – who, like any sensible person, was a conservative in his early years but quickly matured into a progressive. He was an early proponent of the abolition of capital punishment (even managed to convince Queen Victoria to spare the lives of several Irish people sentenced to death), was elected to the French Constitutional Assembly and National Assembly following the 1848 revolution, but fled the country after the coup-d’etat by Louis Napoleon (Napoleon III) in 1851. Hugo was elected to the Academie Francais in 1841 in recognition of his superb writing. His book Les Miserables (which is deep and sophisticated, unlike the more recent stage play) was also given significant recognition by Pope Pius IX, who put it on the Index of Proscribed Books. After Louis Napoleon fell and the Paris Commune and the Republic was proclaimed, Hugo returned to Paris and was elected as a Senator in 1876. Even in exile, Hugo’s writings had an electrifying impact on Parisians. His books would be smuggled into the country and become instant bestsellers in France and abroad. When he died, in 1885, Hugo was given a national funeral and more than two million people (!!!!) lined the streets and attended ceremonies to mark his life.

Sadly, the Wellesley Institute federal pre-budget backgrounder doesn’t contain any references to Hugo, but the document (attached) does have some observations about housing, homelessness and the federal budget.

Thanks to:

Michael Shapcott

Director of Community Engagement

The Wellesley Institute

wifederalprebudgetbackgrounder2008.pdf (application/pdf, 122.2 K)
Budget Backgrounder on Housing

More Information: www.wellesleyinstitute.com

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