Tories predict $30B deficit next year

[ThatGuy]

What are these morons doing?

No deficit. Small deficit. Technical Deficit. $30 billion deficit.

Read it and weep.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

[fellowtraveller]

The coalition will be shouting from the rooftops that if they were the govt they'd make it $50 billion, no make that $100 billion........

[ThatGuy]

The coalition will be shouting from the rooftops that if they were the govt they'd make it $50 billion, no make that $100 billion........

I don't think that is the case at all do you? Really.

You don't have to hide behind the CPC all the time you know.

[stignasty]

The coalition will be shouting from the rooftops that if they were the govt they'd make it $50 billion, no make that $100 billion........

Maybe Michael Ignatieff is a friend of a domestic terrorist too........

[ThatGuy]

Maybe Michael Ignatieff is a friend of a domestic terrorist too........

Scared CPC supporters need to say something right.

[fellowtraveller]

I don't think that is the case at all do you? Really.

You don't have to hide behind the CPC all the time you know.

Of course that is true. Haven't you been paying attention?

The Bloc Torontois coalition nearly brought down the govt because they weren't throwing billions at moribund industries like auto manufacturing and forestry. Now the CPC are throwing billions at everybody.

Surely that is what you wanted........

[stignasty]

November 20, 2008

Parliamentary Budget Officer predicts deficit: Conservative mismanagement to blame

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper must take full responsibility for leading Canada into the multi-billion dollar deficit forecasted by Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said today.

“Despite repeated election promises that they would never go into deficit, Prime Minister Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty have shown they can’t be trusted. They have now led the federal government into its first deficit position in 10 years,” said Mr. Dion.

“Mr. Page predicts deficits for years to come, amounting to tens of billions of dollars. Mr. Harper and Mr. Flaherty will try to blame the global economic crisis, but the truth is it is their own economic mismanagement and poor planning that has caused this situation.”

In just three years, Mr. Harper’s Conservative government has increased federal spending by more than $40 billion a year, squandered a $13-billion surplus left to them by the previous Liberal government, and eliminated the $3-billion “contingency reserve” – the rainy day fund saved for economic downturns.

In his report, Mr. Page points out that Conservative fiscal policy decisions are largely to blame for what is occurring. He states: “The weak fiscal performance to date is largely attributable to previous policy decisions as opposed to weakened economic conditions, since nominal GDP is higher than expected in Budget 2008.”

“It didn't have to be this way. It is the ideological choices made by Mr. Harper and Mr. Flaherty that have put this country’s finances at risk,” said Mr. Dion. “Mr. Harper leads the biggest spending by a federal government in Canadian history. He spent, spent and spent, he cut the wrong taxes, and he left no buffer and no room to manoeuvre. Now his finance minister is considering a fire sale of government assets to keep the books balanced.

“The Conservatives have shown once again they are bad managers of Canadians’ hard-earned dollars. And it didn’t have to be this way. Canada could have been better prepared, maintained its reserve fund and provided stimulus to increase productivity, create jobs and protect seniors’ pensions in this time of need, all without going into deficit.

“Mr. Harper and Mr. Flaherty must take full responsibility for this fiasco,” he said.

http://www.liberal.ca/story_15481_e.aspx

[Topaz]

I doubt very much if the deficit will stop at 30 Bil. Harper has now a accuse why he can spend and can't be blamed. I still like to know what the books say now BEFORE he starts his spending. Once the babyboomers retire, it will be alot hard to pay off any debt and the top taxpayers may be paying higher taxes.

[Argus]

What are these morons doing?

No deficit. Small deficit. Technical Deficit. $30 billion deficit.

Read it and weep.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

Yes, it's too bad we don't have a conservative government.

[Topaz]

TV news just announced that the Harper family will be moving out of their home so work can be done and they will be at another location for about 2 years. The news report didn't say how much but I do remember, seeing a figure of 90 MIL. being toss around. Now I know the place NEEDS the work but is this a good time to spend the money?? Harper just cut the budget for the Parliamentary Budget Office, by 33% and I'm sure Page coming out and telling Canadians about the deficeit we would be in and Harper relying that it was too soon to tell. I say maybe Page should be the Min. of Finance. he knows more that Harper or the minister.

[ThatGuy]

I doubt very much if the deficit will stop at 30 Bil. Harper has now a accuse why he can spend and can't be blamed. I still like to know what the books say now BEFORE he starts his spending. Once the babyboomers retire, it will be alot hard to pay off any debt and the top taxpayers may be paying higher taxes.

The books should be publically accessible. Mr. Flaherty lied to the people of Ontario in the election that saw the PCs in Ontario get decimated. I can't believe they are letting this guy run the country now. He said a surplus of $8 billion, when they were defeated and the books were looked at, there was really $3 billion.

[ThatGuy]

Yes, it's too bad we don't have a conservative government.

A conservative government like Mulroney's?

I really don't think that the coalition has anything to do with this.

[Argus]

TV news just announced that the Harper family will be moving out of their home so work can be done and they will be at another location for about 2 years. The news report didn't say how much but I do remember, seeing a figure of 90 MIL. being toss around. Now I know the place NEEDS the work but is this a good time to spend the money??

Isn't the whole country, including all the opposition parties, crying for infrastructure spending? We will get tons of construction and refurbishment jobs coming out over the coming year to build or fix roads, bridges, and a wide assortment of public buildings. The PMs house is a public building, a heritage building at that, and long overdue for major renovations. And it is exactly the sort of thing which infrastructure funds are designed for.

[sharkman]

Funny guy that Dion. He gets so freaked out about Harper's first response to the economy that he forms a coalition and almost brings down the government. Now he's freaked out that they will respond with too much spending. Make up your freaking mind already! At least the Liberals were smart enough to dump this loser.

The world economy has worsened significantly since the CPC's mini budget(or whatever it was) and now that looks like billions will be tossed at the car makers state side, Harper knows giving them help won't be money wasted. As well, commodities have dropped a bunch, including oil, and this has knocked some momentum out of the economy. Things have changed, and a government needs to change strategies when needed.

[DrGreenthumb]

We need a change in government. We need to dump Flaherty and Harper into the Alberta tar pits.

[dpwozney]

... $30 billion deficit.

Read it and weep.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

“We're not running a deficit. We have planned a realistic scenario. We've got conservative budget estimates. We've got a modest platform that doesn't even fill the existing fiscal room that we have and we have plenty of flexibility in how we phase it. So that's our policy. We're not going into deficit.”

-Stephen Harper, October 2008

[scribblet]

I don't think that is the case at all do you? Really.

Of course it's the case, the troika were planning on spending 30billion off the top, so it would be okay if the Liberals went into deficit ? They are screaming and demanding that Harper spend spend spend....

[Moonbox]

Only the ridiculously hack Liberals are criticizing the stimulus package. It's exactly what their party was proposing and threatening to bring the government down if it did NOT happen.

[Canadian Blue]

Let me get this straight all of the people who were supportive of the Coalition who wanted to put forward a $30 billion dollar stimulus are now opposed to a $30 billion dollar stimulus package because the CPC is bringing it forward.

Of course we wouldn't have gone into a deficit with Stephane Dion, he was proposing a $40 billion dollar tax hike afterall. Not to mention making strategic cuts [perhaps disbanding another regiment] to the budget.

[stignasty]

Let me get this straight all of the people who were supportive of the Coalition who wanted to put forward a $30 billion dollar stimulus are now opposed to a $30 billion dollar stimulus package because the CPC is bringing it forward.

It's an over generalization to say that all of the people were supportive of the coalition are critical of the Conservative deficit. In fact, it's more likely that some are critical of the Harper government for announcing a deficit because they previously announced it wouldn't happen.

[Moonbox]

Oh my isn't that a shocking revelation. A politician wasn't completely honest and forthcoming with information. What has the world come to?

Maybe if the average person wasn't dumber than a cow you'd see through the BS for what it really is.

Anybody who unconditionally says there won't be a deficit is full of crap. It's foolish/naive to have believed the claim at the time and if you're outraged by it now it's only because you're outraged by EVERYTHING Harper does no matter what or you're not smart enough to see through a promise that is not under the PM's control.

Harper is 100% full of crap. He's all over the place with his views, opinions and policies and to be honest I don't believe half the things he says.

Having said that, the opposition is even more full of crap and quite a bit less competent. I'll stick to the snake of a Prime Minister that we have now rather than the clowns aspiring to take his job.

[jdobbin]

Let me get this straight all of the people who were supportive of the Coalition who wanted to put forward a $30 billion dollar stimulus are now opposed to a $30 billion dollar stimulus package because the CPC is bringing it forward.

Think that $30 billion figure has been shown to have never been agreed up in meetings. McCallum made that clear a day later.

Of course we wouldn't have gone into a deficit with Stephane Dion, he was proposing a $40 billion dollar tax hike afterall. Not to mention making strategic cuts [perhaps disbanding another regiment] to the budget.

And Harper was going to pass on $40 billion in cap and trade increases.

[Hydraboss]

So we are all in agreement that every one of them is a liar and an idiot?

Why do I seem to remember Stephane and Stephen both stating at the leader's debate (you know, the goofy one where Elizabeth May-Be-Insane annoyed everyone at the round table) that neither one could possibly "absolutely say that they would not go into deficit"? Taliban Jack had no problem as long as the money went to "kitchen tables instead of boardroom tables" and Elizabeth "Wants to be the Senator that One Million People Voted For" May had no clue on anything.

[Smallc]

Isn't the whole country, including all the opposition parties, crying for infrastructure spending? We will get tons of construction and refurbishment jobs coming out over the coming year to build or fix roads, bridges, and a wide assortment of public buildings. The PMs house is a public building, a heritage building at that, and long overdue for major renovations. And it is exactly the sort of thing which infrastructure funds are designed for.

Thank you. Exactly.

[BC_chick]

Of course that is true. Haven't you been paying attention?

The Bloc Torontois coalition nearly brought down the govt because they weren't throwing billions at moribund industries like auto manufacturing and forestry. Now the CPC are throwing billions at everybody.

Surely that is what you wanted........

The coalition proposed a 30 billion deficit? Nonsense.

But for argument's sake, let's say they did.... what does that make you for supporting Harper now instead of screaming bloody murder the way you did when the coalition (hypothetically) proposed the same thing?