This was the question Baxter feared. He wasn’t happy with the obvious answer. Join his friends in a safe remote village while the country collapsed into chaos. That was a logical choice, but it felt like cowardice. Like giving up. Like abandoning the values he cherished. But what else was there? He said, “Of course. When I said you, I was talking about what you’d already done.”
“Great. You’ll be welcome here.”
Sangster said, “Todd, you just mentioned an interrogation centre. Is that something new?”
Baxter scowled. “I found out about it when I was poking through some files. The NPF is opening three of them. One in the West, one for Ontario, and one for Quebec and the Atlantic provinces.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“You don’t have the slightest idea. The plans indicate there will be no restrictions on how the interrogations are to be carried out.”
“Torture?” Her voice cracked.
Baxter nodded. “More than you could ever guess. Not just things like sleep deprivation or waterboarding. What they’re planning is ugly. They’re serious and I don’t think it will stop there.”
Candale frowned. “What do you mean?”
“They’ve posted the psychological profiles of the kinds of people they’re looking for. I can’t see any difference between these types and sadists.”
The room was silent until Candale said, “Bastards. Okay, there’s nothing we can do about that. But when the other people here find out about it, there will be hell to pay. I suspect it will even unite us.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll find out at the meeting. We’ll introduce you there”
Baxter said, “You know, I’d like to keep my options open. There’s been something niggling, and until I figure it out, I’d rather be anonymous. I sure don’t want anyone to know about my connection to the NPF.”
“Everyone knows everyone else here. If I don’t introduce you, they’ll ask. Don’t worry, I’ll tell them you’re a friend. Nothing else.”
“Okay, but don’t introduce me by my real name. Not yet.”
“How about if I use Bert’s name?”
“No. Too painful. Use the name Ivan Kryss.”
“Is that someone you know?”
“Yes, and I wouldn’t care if he got caught up in his own creation.”
35
THE ECONOMY FALLS
An announcer said, “Welcome to the evening news at six. Our top story today is the release of a report by the International Monetary Fund, the IMF. They rank the world’s nations according to GDP per capita. For the past few years, Canada has been in tenth place, but in the most recent ranking, we have dropped to fourteenth. Our Dianne Cranston has the numbers for us. Dianne?”
“Julia, the IMF report is one of the most respected in the financial world. It crunches numbers from various national databases to produce its rankings. As you said, in the current report, Canada has dropped a full four places to number fourteen. That puts us at about the same level as Mexico or Indonesia.”
“Does the IMF see this as a trend or is it a one-off anomaly?”
“They don’t comment on that, but there is one disturbing aspect of this report: the set of footnotes. Different countries use different methodologies to gather their statistics, and some try to manipulate them to get a higher ranking. The footnotes give any concerns the IMF has about a country’s numbers.”
“Have they expressed concern about Canada’s?”
“Not just concern. The footnotes on Canada are critical of the numbers because they don’t seem to be reasonable. For example, the Canadian statistics state that provincial GDP per capita is the same for all the provinces. The IMF questions that. And that’s just one problem they have. Reading through the footnotes, I have to conclude that they don’t believe our numbers.”
“Why would the government provide invalid numbers?”
“The most likely explanation is that it doesn’t want to admit that its policies, especially with regard to resource development, are damaging the economy.”
“So the IMF doesn’t trust the data?”
“That’s putting it charitably. In non-diplomatic terms, it’s more as if they think the government is lying.”
“But if the government is lying, why wouldn’t they just issue fake numbers to keep us in tenth place?”
“That’s would be harder because other indicators, such as import/export numbers, wouldn’t match. And those come from other countries.”
“Thank you, Dianne. Dianne Cranston reporting on the latest IMF report showing Canada slipping in rankings of national wealth. Our political correspondent, Mark Janner, spoke with Elizabeth Muir, the Minister of Economic Development. Here is his interview.”
“Minister Muir, what is your reaction to the recent IMF report?”
“Mark, I’ve reviewed the report, and I can say my Cabinet colleagues and I are pleased at the results. They show that despite our recent difficulties, Canada is still a strong player in world markets. I’m confident our government’s policies have been responsible.”
“But we’ve slipped from tenth place to fourteenth. Isn’t that a concern?”
“A concern? Out of about two hundred countries, we’re still among the wealthiest in the world. Yes, we’ve slipped a few spots, but we see that as a sign that other countries are catching up. We think that’s a good thing. The wealthier the rest of the world is, the better.”
“Do you have any comments on the footnotes in the report? The ones that cast doubt on our national statistics?”
“Yes, I do. Those comments are an insult to the hard-working public servants who compile these numbers and who are committed to presenting the truth.”
“The footnotes seem to imply that there has been political manipulation of the data to make us appear wealthier than we are. What is your reaction to that?”
“Mark, I’m not going to sit here and be insulted by unsubstantiated allegations. Not only do we not interfere with the statistics, we welcome any problems they reveal. They show us where we need to focus our efforts to help all our citizens become even more prosperous.”
“Minister, the statistics show that provincial GDP per capita is the same in all regions of the country. How is that possible?”
“Mark, it has been our government’s top priority to promote equality across the entire country. It is not acceptable that a worker in, say, Toronto, is paid more than one in, say, Saskatoon. I’m delighted that our efforts to create equality are paying off.”
“Does the government intend to challenge the IMF on its rankings or its footnotes?”
“We’re in contact with them, and we’re working with them to resolve any misunderstandings. But let me say that the numbers are clear that Canada is still one of the wealthiest nations in the world. That is because of this government’s policies.”
“The opposition is claiming it’s due to past development and your government is undermining the progress the country has made. What is your response to that charge?”
“I’m offended. The opposition will stop at nothing to attack our policies, policies that have improved the lives of middle-class Canadians across the country. Our citizens approve of what we’re doing. They support us.”
“Minister, let me turn to the fuel shortages. Gasoline and diesel are now restricted to first responders and the NPF. What is the government doing to resolve this issue?”
“Mark, this problem is not of our making. We are, unfortunately, vulnerable to the manipulations of the multi-national oil companies who have chosen to punish hard-working, middle-class Canadians. They are displeased at our government because we have resisted their attempts to push through their economic agenda.”