Getting his marching orders?

 The Globe reports today that the Finance department has released it's list of the twenty-two Canadians who will get the opportunity to spend some quality time with finance minister Jim Flaherty. This two day retreat will provide them with the chance to tell Flaherty how they would fix the economy.

Reading this list perfectly illustrates why government budgets invariably favour corporations and the elite  How can it be any other way when they are the only ones consulted beforehand and when these folks talk Flaherty and Harper listen attentively.

1. André Bisson, Chair of the Board, Centre for Interuniversity Research and Analysis of Organizations
2. Robert Blakely, Director of Canadian Affairs, Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO
3. John Brace, President and Chief Executive Officer, Northland Power
4. Deborah Brown, President and Managing Director, EMD Serono, Canada
5. Bob Cartmel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Canada, Lafarge Canada Inc.
6. Connie Clerici, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, Closing The Gap Healthcare Group
7. Paul Douglas, President and Chief Executive Officer, PCL
8. Dawn Farrell, President and Chief Executive Officer, TransAlta Corporation
9. Bruce Flatt, Senior Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Brookfield Management
10. Linda Hasenfratz, Chief Executive Officer, Linamar Corporation
11. Roberta Jamieson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Indspire
12. Darby Kreitz, Chief Executive Officer, Allnorth Consultants Limited
13. James Lopez, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tembec
14. L. Ian MacDonald, Outgoing Editor, Policy Options Magazine
15. Calvin McDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sears Canada Inc.
16. Francis P. McGuire , President and Chief Executive Officer, Major Drilling Group International Inc.
17. Marcus New, President, Stockhouse Publishing Ltd.
18. Paul Romer, Professor of Economics, Leonard N. Stern School of Business
19. Reza Satchu, Managing Partner, Alignvest Capital Management
20. Barbara Stymiest, Chair of the Board, Research in Motion Limited
21. William Watson, Associate Professor and Chairman, Economics Department, McGill University
22. Zoe Yujnovich, President and Chief Executive Officer, Iron Ore Company of Canada

There you have it no one from Labour (actually there is as indefatigable points out below one labour representative), no one representing civil society and certainly no one who would dare give a dissenting opinion on  neo-liberalism.