New shoes on budget day

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Northwest Territories Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek's budget day shoes in 2020. Caroline Wawzonek Budget Day Shoes.jpg
Northwest Territories Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek's budget day shoes in 2020.

New shoes on budget day is an unusual tradition among Canadian Ministers of Finance. The tradition holds that the Minister of Finance should purchase or wear new shoes when the budget is delivered. [1]

Contents

The exact origins of this tradition are not known. The observance of this tradition has been inconsistent among federal ministers; indeed, for two or three finance ministers, this tradition only holds if "new shoes" is interpreted to mean "new footwear". It also makes appearances among provincial finance ministers.[ citation needed ]

History

While several Canadian parliamentary traditions have their origins in Britain, new shoes on budget day does not. [2] News stories of the practice have been investigated by the Library of Parliament and by Canadian academics Alex Marland and Mary Francoli. [3] [4] Walter Edward Harris in 1955 was the first Minister of Finance to receive media coverage about the quirky practice, but only that he was wearing old footwear and therefore not following the so-called tradition. [4] Likewise a news story reported that Donald Fleming did not do so in 1960 and again the practice was described in the media as "traditional", [5] with one account claiming that the tradition of wearing "something new" began as early as Sir John Rose's first budget of 1868. [6] The Library of Parliament has no evidence that Rose did so.[ citation needed ][ original research? ]

Walter L. Gordon, the next Finance Minister, did not wear new shoes for his three budgets from 1963 to 1965, but his successor Mitchell Sharp wore new shoes on budget day in 1966 [7] after he was told that doing so was a tradition; "Later, I learned there was no tradition behind it at all", Sharp said. [2] The following year there were two budgets, one in June where he wore new shoes [6] and one in November. Sharp wore the same pair of shoes in November, as budget day fell on St. Andrew's Day. He said, "being a Scot, and this being the second budget I have presented this year, I am wearing the same shoes that I wore when I presented the budget on June 1." [8]

Following Sharp, Edgar Benson wore a new pair of shoes on budget day in 1968, although he said, "He didn't buy them just for the budget." [9] The following year he did not wear new shoes when delivering the budget, saying jokingly that he couldn't afford them, [10] and in 1970 proudly displayed his worn soles on budget day. [11]

The next two Finance Ministers, John Turner and Donald Macdonald, are thought to have delivered their budgets without new shoes. [4] Macdonald's successor Jean Chrétien wore new shoes for both of his budgets of 1978. The next minister, John Crosbie, wore used mukluks in 1979 for his only budget. Following Crosbie, Allan MacEachen is believed to have not followed the tradition, but in 1983 his successor, Marc Lalonde, did for his first budget which resulted in considerable controversy when a photojournalist present for the shoes reveal caught a peek of the budget. [4] Michael Wilson wore new shoes for the first five of the seven budgets he presented beginning in 1985. [4]

Wilson's successor, Donald Mazankowski, wore new shoes for his second budget, in 1993. [4] Paul Martin wore new work boots he received as a gift from Chrétien for his first budget, in 1994, but did not wear new footwear with subsequent budgets. John Manley did not wear new shoes for the two budgets he tabled, in 2002 and 2003. His successor, Ralph Goodale, released two budgets in 2004 and 2005, and wore new shoes both times. [7]

Jim Flaherty wore new shoes for his first budget in 2006. [7] For the second one, instead of wearing new shoes, he bought ice skates for his son. [12] and resoled his shoes to show that his 2008 budget was fiscally prudent. [13] Flaherty did not purchase new shoes for the second of his two 2011 budgets, but did so in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and February 7, 2014. [7]

Flaherty's successor, Joe Oliver, wore New Balance shoes with blue laces to underscore the fact that the Conservatives' 2015 budget was balanced (The party's traditional colour being blue). [14] [15] However, commenters pointed out that the shoes were made in the U.S., by a company that had abandoned Canadian manufacturing 20 years earlier. [16] Liberal finance minister Bill Morneau held photo-ops to reveal his footwear for the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 budgets. There was no budget in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Chrystia Freeland revealed her footwear on Twitter amidst the pandemic and, in 2022, she held a photo-op at a women's shoe store. [17]

New shoes as a symbol

Wearing new shoes on budget day (or the refusal to do so) has been used as a symbol by politicians. Stockwell Day's outfit as Alberta Treasurer was intended to highlight "a new direction" for the budget". [2] The tradition has been around for so long that, as Nova Scotia's Steele said after leaving his position, "It's hard to be original ... Every gimmick has been done", and passers by often ask finance ministers in the days before new budgets whether they have purchased new shoes yet. [18]

Appearances by Provincial Ministers

British Columbia

For her first two provincial budgets, Carole Taylor wore new shoes. [19] For her third budget, she wore new green-coloured shoes to go with the environmental focus of her budget. [20]

In 2005, Colin Hansen wore new running shoes when he released his only budget. [21]

In 2001, Minister of Finance Paul Ramsay wore new shoes when he delivered his budget. His predecessor, Joy MacPhail, did the same with a second-hand set when she tabled her budget. [2]

Alberta

Once, when he was Alberta Treasurer, Stockwell Day wore inline skates and a helmet when he tabled a budget. [2]

In 2016 New Democratic Party finance Minister Joe Ceci opted to wear his father's old work boots while delivering the NDP's first provincial budget, and opted to donate new work boots to a woman worker associated with Women Building Futures. [22]

Ontario

For at least one of the budgets he released, Floyd Laughren wore new shoes. [23]

In 2007, Greg Sorbara wore new shoes when he released Ontario's provincial budget. [2]

New Brunswick

New Brunswick finance minister Ernie Steeves with his new shoes on budget day in 2020. Ernie Steeves new shoes on budget day 2022.jpg
New Brunswick finance minister Ernie Steeves with his new shoes on budget day in 2020.

In 2002, New Brunswick finance minister Peter Mesheau wore new hiking boots when he delivered his budget. [23]

In 2009, Greg Byrne bought a new pair of shoes the day before the budget. [24]

In 2019, Ernie Steeves wore an old pair of shoes. [25] In 2020, he chose a pair of sneakers. [26] In 2021, he picked out refurbished shoes from a store in Fredericton. [27] In 2022, Ernie Steeves wore a pair of muddy work boots the day before the budget was announced. [28]

Nova Scotia

In 2009, Nova Scotia finance minister Graham Steele polished his shoes when, as he later said, "we buffed up the previously introduced Progressive Conservative budget". In 2010 he bought children's shoes to represent the removal of the Harmonized Sales Tax from children's clothing. In 2011 Steele showed pictures of new shoes on a Blackberry Playbook because of the manufacturer's importance to the province, and in 2012 he bought shoes at a store to symbolize lowered taxes for small businesses. [18]

Québec

In 1989, Québec Finance Minister Gérard D. Levesque presented the budget in new shoes. [29]

In 2003, Pauline Marois presented Québec's budget in new shoes. [30]

In 2006, Michel Audet wore new shoes when he delivered his budget speech. [31]

In 2019, Eric Girard wore new running shoes when he delivered his first budget speech [32]

Prince Edward Island

In 2002, Pat Mella was speaking to journalists about PEI's budget when the Premier interrupted and presented her with a pair of sandals. [33]

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan finance minister Ken Krawetz first bought a new pair of shoes for budget day in 2013. He put them on with a shoehorn to demonstrate that the province faces what the minister described as "significant financial pressures on the treasury". [34]

Northwest Territories

On February 25, 2020, Northwest Territories Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek wore natural harp seal fur high heel shoes when she tabled her first Budget Address for the 19th Legislative Assembly. The shoes were made by ENB Artisan, from Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Nunavut

In 1999, Finance Minister Kelvin Ng wore caribou-skin boots when he tabled Nunavut's budget. [2]

Newfoundland & Labrador

In 2020, Newfoundland and Labrador finance minister Siobhán Coady presented the budget wearing shoes gifted to her by a friend. [35]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoe</span> Footwear

A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but over time, shoes also became fashion items. Some shoes are worn as safety equipment, such as steel-toe boots, which are required footwear at industrial worksites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Footwear</span> Garments worn on feet

Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serve the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from rough ground; stability on slippery ground; and temperature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington boot</span> Type of waterproof boot

The Wellington boot, often shortened to welly and also known as the gumboot, is a type of waterproof boot.

<i>Tabi</i> Traditional Japanese sock with split-toed construction

Tabi are traditional Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear such as zori, dating back to the 15th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sneakers</span> Sport and casual shoes

Sneakers (US) or trainers (UK), also known by a wide variety of other names, are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but which are also widely used for everyday casual wear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Platform shoe</span> Footwear with a thick platform sole

Platform shoes are shoes, boots, or sandals with a thick sole, usually in the range of 5–10 cm (2–4 in). Platform shoes may also be high heels, in which case the heel is raised significantly higher than the ball of the foot. Extreme heights, of both the sole and heel, can be found in fetish footwear such as ballet boots, where the sole may be up to 20 cm (8 in) high and the heels up to 40 cm (16 in) or more. The sole of a platform shoe can have a continuous uniform thickness, have a wedge, a separate block or a stiletto heel. Raising the ankle increases the risk of a sprained ankle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandal</span> Type of footwear with an open upper

Sandals are an open type of shoe, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps going over the instep and around the ankle. Sandals can also have a heel. While the distinction between sandals and other types of footwear can sometimes be blurry, the common understanding is that a sandal leaves all or most of the foot exposed.

Clarks, the trade name of C. & J. Clark International Limited, is a British international shoe manufacturer and retailer majority owned by Viva Goods, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1825 by Cyrus Clark in the village of Street, Somerset, England, where the company's headquarters remain. The company has 1,400 branded stores and franchises around the world and also sells through third-party distribution. Clarks also operated concessions in Mothercare stores. Clarks had been owned by the Clark family and employees, but taken over via a £100 million investment by the Hong Kong-based private equity firm LionRock Capital, after which the Clarks family lost overall control of the company. In January 2021, Viva China Holdings agreed to acquire 51% of LionRock Capital, so has a substantial stake in the Clarks brand. Viva China was later renamed to be Viva Goods Co. Ltd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Benson</span> Canadian politician (1923–2011)

Edgar John "Ben" Benson was a Canadian politician, businessman, diplomat, and university professor. He held four cabinet posts, most notably that of Minister of Finance under Pierre Trudeau, where he was instrumental in reforming Canada's income tax law. He was described as "Pierre Trudeau's unflappable finance minister, the pipe-smoking financial wizard who raised the ire of corporate Canada in the 1970s by bringing in a capital gains tax."

Jungle boots are a type of combat boot designed for use in jungle warfare or in hot, wet, and humid environments where a standard leather combat boot would be uncomfortable or unsuitable to wear. Jungle boots have vent holes in the instep and sometimes a canvas upper to aid in ventilation and drainage of moisture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mukluk</span> Soft boot worn by Arctic peoples

Mukluks or kamik are soft boots, traditionally made of reindeer (caribou) skin or sealskin, and worn by Indigenous Arctic peoples, including Inuit, Iñupiat, and Yup'ik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High-heeled shoe</span> Footwear that raises the heel of the wearers foot significantly higher than the toes

High-heeled shoes, also known as high heels or pumps, are a type of shoe with an upward-angled sole. The heel in such shoes is raised above the ball of the foot. High heels cause the legs to appear longer, make the wearer appear taller, and accentuate the calf muscle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spats (footwear)</span> Short gaiters worn over the instep

Spats, a shortening of spatterdashes, or spatter guards are a type of footwear accessory for outdoor wear, covering the instep and the ankle. Spats are distinct from gaiters, which are garments worn over the lower trouser leg as well as the shoe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Court shoe</span> Type of shoe with low-cut front

A court shoe or pump is a shoe with a low-cut front, or vamp, with either a shoe buckle or a black bow as ostensible fastening. Deriving from the 17th- and 18th-century dress shoes with shoe buckles, the vamped pump shape emerged in the late 18th century. By the turn of the 19th century, shoe buckles were increasingly replaced by black bows, which has remained the contemporary style for men's formal wear, leather or patent leather evening pumps ever since. This latter style is sometimes also called an opera pump or opera slipper.

Crocs, Inc. is an American footwear company based in Broomfield, Colorado, that manufactures and markets the Crocs brand of foam footwear. Crocs Inc term these "clogs", but they do not contain any wood like traditional clogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lobb Bootmaker</span> British shoemaker

John Lobb Bootmaker is a company that manufactures and retails a luxury brand of shoes and boots, mainly for men but also for women. Leather goods such as wallets and belts are also available. Founded by John Lobb (1829–95), John Lobb Bootmaker has been in business since 1849 in London and circa 1900 in Paris. John Lobb's son William took over the business and after he died in 1916 the business was led by Betsy Lobb.

Merrell is an American manufacturing company of footwear products. It was founded by Clark Matis, Randy Merrell, and John Schweizer in 1981 as a maker of high-performance hiking boots. Since 1997, the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide. Products currently commercialized by Merrell include hiking boots, athletic shoes, sandals, jackets, knit caps, gloves, t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and socks. Other accessories include backpacks, stuff sacks, and bags.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chukka boot</span> Style of footwear

Chukka boots are ankle-high leather boots with suede or leather uppers, leather or rubber soles, and open lacing, with two or three pairs of eyelets. The name chukka possibly comes from the game of polo, where a chukka is a period of play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tradition of removing shoes in the home and houses of worship</span>

Traditions of removing shoes in the home vary greatly between the world's cultures. These customs impact whether people remove their shoes when coming home, whether people are expected to remove their shoes when visiting others' homes, and what people wear on their feet in homes if not shoes. Additionally, in some places, similar customs exist in places of worship or education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armadillo shoe</span> 2010 platform shoe by Alexander McQueen

The armadillo shoe is a high fashion platform shoe created by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen for his final collection, Plato's Atlantis. Only 24 pairs exist: 21 were made during the initial production in 2009, and three were made in 2015 for a charity auction. The shoes are named for their unusual convex curved shape, said to resemble an armadillo. Each pair is approximately 12 inches (30 cm) from top to sole, with a 9-inch (23 cm) stiletto heel; this extreme height caused some models to refuse to walk in the Plato's Atlantis show. American singer Lady Gaga famously wore the shoes in several public appearances, including the music video for her 2009 single "Bad Romance".

References

  1. ↑ Minsky, Amy (April 20, 2015). "The finance minister's new shoes: a purely Canadian, though mysterious, tradition". Global News. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Why do finance ministers wear new shoes to deliver a budget?". Ottawa Citizen. 2007-03-25. p. A2. Archived from the original on 2016-03-22.
  3. ↑ "Budgets". lop.parl.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Marland, Alex; Francoli, Mary (2022-02-15). "Evolution of a Government Photo Op: The Media Tradition of a Canadian Finance Minister's New Budget Shoes". Canadian Journal of Communication. 47 (1): 21 pp–21 pp. doi:10.22230/cjc.2022v47n1a4117. ISSN   1499-6642. S2CID   246929025.
  5. ↑ Langevin Cote. (April 10, 1960). "Meticulous minister." Globe and Mail, p. 10.
  6. 1 2 "Tradition prevails for Sharp". (June 2, 1967). The Windsor Star, p. 15.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "The Minister of Finance's New Shoes". Library of Parliament, Parliament of Canada. 2013-03-21. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  8. ↑ "The budget: less a model of thrift". (December 6, 1967). The Montreal Gazette, p. 7.
  9. ↑ Robert Hull (October 23, 1968). "Name makes tax no sweeter". The Windsor Star, p. 16.
  10. ↑ "Busy day for Mr. Benson". (June 4, 1969). The Montreal Gazette, p. 16.
  11. ↑ "Setting an example?". (March 13, 1970). The Windsor Star, p. 13.
  12. ↑ Tim Naumetz (2007-03-20). "Skates bought by Flaherty were nothing like budget". Vancouver Sun. p. A5.
  13. ↑ Beauchesne, Eric (26 February 2008). "Flaherty's resoled shoes herald frugal budget". National Post .
  14. ↑ "Federal budget 2015: Oliver opts for 'New Balance' shoes ahead of budget". Cbc.ca. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  15. ↑ Foster, Peter (21 April 2015). "Peter Foster: Read Joe Oliver's New Balance shoes | Financial Post". Financial Post. Business.financialpost.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  16. ↑ "Ottawa hikes credit limits for Nunavut, NWT". Nunatsiaqonline.ca. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  17. ↑ "Evening Brief: New shoes, new financial foot forward?". www.ipolitics.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  18. 1 2 Steele, Graham (2014-04-02). "How it feels to be finance minister on budget day". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  19. ↑ Miro Cernetig (2007-02-21). "Victoria offers 10-per-cent tax cut". Vancouver Sun. pp. A1–A3.
  20. ↑ Jonathan Fowlie. "Taylor's green shoes to toe budget's climate change line". Vancouver Sun. p. A3.
  21. ↑ Gordon Hamilton (2005-02-15). "New spending, tax cuts for low earners". Vancouver Sun. p. A1.
  22. ↑ "Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci donates work boots on pre-budget day".
  23. 1 2 ""Inappropriate" to buy new shoes for budget: finance minister". Wellend Tribune. 2002-06-13. p. A2.
  24. ↑ "Finance minister, observing parliamentary tradition, buys shoes on eve of budget". Government of New Brunswick. 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  25. ↑ Harrop, Catherine (2019-03-18). "Double-budget day for New Brunswick on Tuesday". CBC. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  26. ↑ Brown, Laura (2020-03-09). "N.B. budget hits $125-million surplus target: finance minister". iHeartRadio. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  27. ↑ Clow, Tara. "Finance Minister Refurbishes NB Budget Shoes". 91.9 The Bend. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  28. ↑ "N.B. finance minister sports muddy work boots, offers few hints on eve of budget release - New Brunswick | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  29. ↑ "Sole man with budget". Montreal Gazette. 1989-05-16. p. A5.
  30. ↑ Kevin Dougherty (2003-03-11). "No goodies in budget, Marois warns: Something new, something blue;". Montreal Gazette. p. A11.
  31. ↑ "Showing his shoes". Charlottetown Guardian. 2006-03-23. p. A11.
  32. ↑ "'A very good day for Québec': Finance minister sports new sneakers ahead of budget". CTV News. 2019-03-20.
  33. ↑ "New shoes for Pat Mella's budget blues". Charlottetown Guardian. 2003-03-27. p. A4.
  34. ↑ "Sask. budget will be tight, finance minister says". CBC News. 2013-03-20. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  35. ↑ Mccarthy, Brendan. "Coady wears gifted footwear as she delivers Newfoundland and Labrador budget | SaltWire". www.saltwire.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
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