Healthcare: Transparently opaque

Peter Orszag and Barack Obama (White House photo)

But besides the shift in the underlying demographics there have been other changes that are affecting that profile, not least the economy. With zero to minimal growth and the value of pensions schemes having been slashed over the years, people are far less inclined or able to leave work and enjoy life’s ‘longest holiday’ as it’s sometimes termed. Added to this we have seen the removal of the Default Retirement Age (DRA), giving employees the right to work beyond the current state retirement age.

BARACK OBAMA'S strategy on the long-term deficit has been, for the most part, to talk tough but waffle on the specifics in the hope that a better economic and political backdrop will present itself. Unfortunately for him, that approach allowed Republicans to lay down the first marker last week with a budget plan that slashes the deficit with savage cuts to entitlements and no increase in taxes.

With aboriginal issues pushed to prominence through Idle No More protests, the federal budget acknowledged the importance of bringing aboriginal youth into the country’s economy — but tied much of the government assistance funding to training participation. The budget called for $241-million over five years “to improve the on-reserve Income Assistance Program to help ensure First Nations youth can access the skills and training they need to secure employment.”

For a poll that’s bad news for Barack Obama and his agenda, the latest Washington Post poll contains some pretty good news for Barack Obama and his agenda:

President Barack Obama should focus on cutting America's own budget deficit before advising Europe on how to tackle its debt problems says German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble in the Spiegel article in Germany Rejects Obama's Criticism in Euro Crisis