1. Budget Simulation Spending department memos to be reviewed by Premier and Minister of Finance over the weekend. Minister and DM of Finance prepare evaluation of proposals and recommendations to distribute at beginning of simulation on Tuesday March 3. Premier to chair meeting to discuss proposals on Tuesday, March 3. Ministers sit at cabinet table and DMs behind them. DMs may speak on factual but not policy issues, if asked by their minister. (Note: students who have not yet made presentations in class should play role of minister.) Premier and chief of staff to prepare memo recording the decisions taken and rationale, due to Prof. Borins at the end of the day Friday March 6. Professor Borins will present a debrief of the simulation in class on March 10.

2. Class of February 24 Mid-terms returned and discussed Preparation for budget exercise (question and answer) Watch The Thick of It

3. Mid-term Grades: mid-term out of 50, average 36 40-50 (As): 7 30-40 (B+ B-/C+): 15 27-30 (C+): 4 Questions where people had trouble: 4. Politics is winner-take-all, going negative works, going negative distracts voters and media from your own failings 8. Operations Committee: day-to-day coordination of government’s agenda incl. issues mgt., legislation and house planning, communications, house planning essential in a minority government

4. Mid-term 9. Only 1 point 10. Minister should focus on politics (contact with electorate) rather than details of administration 11. i) ongoing provision of public service, policy advice to the new government, whatever party it is 12. Ritz must see that his officials fix the problem but he is not expected to resign 13. A cabinet of generalists in Canada, specialists in the US, ministers are moved here, department secretaries almost never moved 15. The economy has grown, so that debt/GDP ratio still smaller, debt service is smaller % of gov’t spending

5. Mid-Term 17. gov’t revenues won’t increase, spending will have to increase to stimulate economy 18. PMO: political strategy, issues management, communications, time-tabling, communications, constituency relations, senior appointments; PCO: secretariat to cabinet, policy analysis, coordination of the public service 20. Current opposition MPs may become ministers and they will be suspicious of public servants who were too supportive of the previous government. 21. Politicians do oversight and public servants do analysis, planning, implementation. Public servants not hard to staff: high flyers on loan, or sometimes recruited from outside. Want to be where they can be seen.

6. Class of March 3 Budget Simulation Simulation in Room 324 Spending department memos to be e-mailed to me and to central agencies (PM, adviser, Minister and DM of Finance by 5 pm on Friday, February 27) Email addresses: 06kotakr@utsc, nishavijh@hotmail.com, dayna_lise@hotmail,com, harshida9@gmail.com,borins@utsc