The reason this topic generates chatter is because its simple to understand. My teenage sister gets it, my 7 y/o gets it, the homeless person at Union understands and the Bay St exec gets it. Its not obviously complicated. It takes $0.16 to make a penny. Its eradication will save millions in Gov't spending. "It costs 1.6 Canadian cents to produce each one cent coin and stamping out the penny will save around C$11 million ($11 million) a year." (1)
The other proposed budget topics aren't so easily understood by the general public. Old Age Security? Greater than 40% of Canadians are <30 years old (2). This isn't likely to be the prevailing conversation topic. CBC? Canadian Crown Corporation? Really? Who knew? Who cares? Who understands the impact?
I don't think mass media has conspired to fool the common man (in this case anyway). Its just a simple conversation topic.
Edit: There really isn't any complication since only cash payments are effected (3)
The reason this topic generates chatter is because its simple to understand. My teenage sister gets it, my 7 y/o gets it, the homeless person at Union understands and the Bay St exec gets it. Its not obviously complicated. It takes $0.16 to make a penny. Its eradication will save millions in Gov't spending. "It costs 1.6 Canadian cents to produce each one cent coin and stamping out the penny will save around C$11 million ($11 million) a year." (1)
The other proposed budget topics aren't so easily understood by the general public. Old Age Security? Greater than 40% of Canadians are <30 years old (2). This isn't likely to be the prevailing conversation topic. CBC? Canadian Crown Corporation? Really? Who knew? Who cares? Who understands the impact?
I don't think mass media has conspired to fool the common man (in this case anyway). Its just a simple conversation topic.
Edit: There really isn't any complication since only cash payments are effected (3)
(1) http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/30/canada-penny-federal...
(2) http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo10a-eng.htm
(3) http://www.budget.gc.ca/2012/themes/theme2-info-eng.html