Cornwall Ontario – The Harper Government presented its budget to parliament and it was about as exciting as the NHL Trade Deadline. No major surprises by the ever predictable Conservatives and no surprises to the reaction.
Gilles Duceppe stated that his party would vote against it as did Jack Layton’s NDP. Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal party said they would most likely voice their displeasure with the budget by not showing up for the vote; that they weren’t ready for a Spring election; at least at this time.
The new budget has tax cuts for corporations and cuts spending. The direction of the hot air is to fight the deficit; and its success is predicated on there being an economic recovery which as we’ve seen in the last recession can lead to even bigger deficits.
The government before Mr. Harper had budget surpluses and were criticized for such; but frankly I’d rather have a surplus any day than a deficit. Cutting taxes; especially at this time to the degree that the government is choosing to do is just wrong on so many levels.
The current “recovery” is being called a jobless one. If people don’t have jobs they can’t purchase goods and services to help the economy so where is this recovery coming from? Resources? Resources actually can hurt an economy if there isn’t enough balance.
First off Canada subsidizes many of the developments of the resource industry, and the current budget and throne speech clearly show the Harper Government’s willingness to cut red tape to make it even easier for resource companies to gain access and facilitate projects; usually at the risk of the environment.
That’s a slippery slope. For example right now Canada’s dollar is nearly pegged on par with the US because of the high price of Oil and gold. When the Loony was trading between .65-.75 cents US our economy was booming. Our factories and products more attractive to export, and a better value.
Mr. Harper can’t keep putting Canada’s eggs in Alberta’s basket. There needs to be more to this economy than the Oil Sands and his buddies.
This recovery and this budget shouldn’t be carried on the backs of the average Canadians to the degree that it’s being asked. Large corporations need to carry their fair share of the load too, especially if they’re not Canadian as Mr. Harper’s government becomes friendlier to US Big Money and this budget does the exact opposite.
“Canadians are not ready for an election,” Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff said, arguing that he would concentrate instead in the weeks and months ahead in presenting an alternative to government – “brick by brick, stone by stone.”
The Government is trying to help manufacturing and research cutting open the purse strings a bit.
The government also introduced $300 million in tariff savings for manufacturers, set up a commission to reduce “red tape” for business, increased funding to encourage advanced technology industries and signalled its readiness to open the door to more foreign investment in Canada.
“We are building Canada’s reputation as an investment-friendly country,” Flaherty said.
One of the areas the government could save a ton of money is the military. At a cost estimated over $500K per soldier for the mission in Afghanistan; one that there is no hope of winning; perhaps it’s time to cut our losses and stop feeding our military machine? Maybe those dollars could be better spent on Health; Infrastructure; or services that Canadians truly need?
What do you think Canada? Feel free to post your comments below.
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What people seem to forget, is that the Liberal government had a surplus of monies for several years. In fact, the conservative took power with a 13 billion dollar surplus. The power shifted from the liberals due to in house bickering in a search for power after the adscam fiasco.. The Canadian Banks are setting record profit level. With this budget, the Canadian Banks will increase there record profits to new heights. Seniors, children, the working poor and those who are disabled will continue to live in poverty at the expense of big business. Then, with the implementation of the HST, banks and large corporations will receive higher profits due to a 4% return from the HST. Every blue collar worker should not/never vote for a conservative government. If Health care matters to our aging population, the only smart vote is the NDP.
Now Willie you’re sounding an awful lot like a politician. I support consumptive taxes and the HST, but if you’re going to just give it back to corporations via cutting corp taxes then all it turns into is a tax on those that don’t get side cuts.
That’s pretty much evil and putting the recovery on the backs of the population instead of having a fair and equitable load. Not good and to me not Canadian.
Well if you can’t stand behind our military….you are welcome to stand in front ot them!
What would you like for a budget? More taxes like the HST you will enjoy in Ont now thanks to the Liberals? How about workers get big bonuses and triple wages – but lose their jobs because their employers can’t afford to stay in business? The world economy has trashed but Canada is doing not bad at all. How about we all work to keep it going. Or vote in the Liberals or the NDP, cause they will give the same thing – you can’t make money out of a sows ear
Hey Stan, I’d rather stand in front of our military than have them hand me over to the Afghans for an “interrogation”. Not that I don’t “support our troops”, I just don’t support our governments decision to deploy them. It’s not the soldiers fault they’re in an unwinnable situation. How better to show them our support than to bring them home, safe and sound?
Destructo, I see you are good at making the right choice and I truly believe that you support our troops. It was the majority Liberal government that deployed our troops to Afghanistan to try and protect the population from being decimated by the Taliban and their insurgent terrorists. The Canadian oldiers have done a wonderful job over there even though they are in an “unwinnable situation” as you say. I’d like to think that as Canadians we have tried our best to help the Afghans, after all, it is better to have tried than not to have tried at all. The minority Conservative government surely supports them and is bringing them home in 2011. God Bless Them.
Stan – The slogan you use is similar to what happens in a dictatorship. You support us or we shoot you. Sounds like Bush a few years back. Democracy can be difficult but it sure beats the proposal you are pushing for. Do you agree with everthing that Harper does? If not, does that mean that you should be shot. The 65% of Canadians who did not vote for Harper should also be shot. If so, it is likely that this will be my last comment.
Granny 54, don’t forget that the HST couldn’t pass without the vote of parliament to allow it to pass. Meaning that your beloved Conservative MP, Guy Lauzon, as well as the rest of the parties, voted yes and allowed this to pass. Think it’s going to be any different under the Conservatives? Think again! The federal conservatives are all for the HST, and if you think they will not put pressure on Hudak (provincial conservative) to keep it in place, you have it all wrong. Unfortunately, Dalton committed political suicide for the Liberals, but the Conservatives are secretly laughing about it in the background because they are happy they didn’t have to pass it, and it makes the Liberals look bad instead.
and 100% agreed Destructo!
Agree with us or we will shoot you, your parents should be commended for naming you. As a job, I’m sure you could do well working with the MCA on the Seaway International bridge issue.
Stan, we all remember the “reasons” for the invasion. Freeing burqa-clad women and give them educations, vague promises about clean water, food, and jobs, etc. But it’s nearly 10 years later and what have we achieved? One poorly executed attempt at a democratic election, providing them with a puppet for a leader who has zero credibility in his own country since he is percieved (rightly) as floozy for the west. We have also allowed opium production to shoot through the roof. Meanwhile we have also destroyed any semblance of a functioning economy, actually making the taliban stronger as the people have nowhere else to turn.
I put none of the blame with soldiers on the ground. The blame is squarely on the suits who sent them there to appease George and his quest to find the real killers. I don’t care if it was the Liberals who sent them in, the Conservatives would have done he same.
god can’t bless anyone, because he isn’t real. The thought is nice though.
Ouch Destructo! Even though it was the Liberals who sent our soldiers to Afghanistan, you cannot say that the Conservatives would have done the same if they were in power. Thats a rash statement.
How do you know that God isn’t real? Isn’t it better to believe in God and then find out there isn’t one….than to not believe in God and then find there is? God Bless Destructo too.
Stan it could be said that the Harper Government has blown up the Defense budget; and by quite a lot including a lack of transparency. When we fight here in Cornwall for a couple of million dollars per year to keep open about twenty hospital beds which would only bring us back to today’s par we spend as much on 4 soldiers. Does that make any sense to you? Is that what you stand for and support? If so I hope you don’t need medical services anytime soon….
Regardless of who was in power at the time, it was a UN mandated operation, originally called “Operation Freedom”, or something similar to it. As a member of the UN we were obliged to participate.
I would rather take my chances with going to hell than spend my life worrying about which god to select, and which rules and precepts to follow. Life is short and then you die, there ain’t no mansion in the sky. Love everyone and have some fun.
Destructo? Good name! I don’t know what happened in your life for you to feel this way about He who created you; but I witness His Glory every day in life. Those close to death and given the Sacrament of the Sick sit up and talk to priests, babies born and live, people that work to the point of burn out and yet go to work the next day. Yes Destructo their is a Wonderful Merciful God and He loves you and If you are so doubting many in history were the same. Just ask him and be amazed. Your life will become much fuller than you could ever imagine.
It was my dad who created me, and he doesn’t get called glorious that often so I will definately pass that on. As for the rest of it, life sure can be full of cool stuff and fun people. I’m not a doubter , I’m a skeptic. If it’s true, prove it. Until then jesus can wait in line with aliens, UFO’s, Santa, amd the Easter Bunny.
I had three brothers and a sister, in the armed services, during WW11. Our young boys were blown to hell, so we wouldn’t have this kind of a country, full of, broken promises, lies, deceit and corruption. Canada has really let those dead boys down, very badly. I hope our government appreciates our boys fighting in the East. They have a tough mission. However, they will prevail, Canadian soldiers always do. They also, go to disaster stricken country’s, their missions are many. Unfortunately, our country gives aid to, the large corporations, and to hell with the little guy. It is, we little guys that keep this country running. If the little guy deferred paying their taxes until, the following year, this country would fall flat on it’s ass. How feudal this country is, ripping off the poor, to give to the greedy rich. Everything that was good in Canada, is now gone. This country has regressed back, by thirty years.
I have to agree with, being puzzled as to why, Harper gave millions to the most profitable company’s on the planet. Why would parliament support such an asinine motion? There is nothing left for a citizen to think, but, there is corruption afloat. I read some time back, there was chatter about Alberta separating from the East. At first the thought was horrifying, but, now, there are thousands of Westerners, who, think all of the Western provinces, should separate from the East. I do believe the NWT and the Yukon were to be included. The East, has always been their own country and dictated to the West, and have taken our tax dollars. Chretien, said he didn’t like those Western people, because they were different. However, he took every tax dollar he could get from the West, and, gave the West only crumbs. So, if separating would keep our tax dollars in the West, and we could then, get rid of Campbell and Hansen, it would be worth it. Harper, could then give, the Easts own millions of tax dollars, to the gas and oil company’s, banks and large corporations. The West has their own resources, The prairie provinces, have always been Canada’s bread basket, and they don’t make enough profit, that money gets taken from them as well, and goes East. The Maritime Provinces also get shafted by Ottawa, who demanded the Maritime, give most of the off shore funds to them. The greed of the East makes a person sick. People in BC, get ripped off by, Campbell and Hansen, then, we also get ripped off by Harper. It would be bliss for the West, to get away from the double dipping.