- Harper, Puzzle me This: When Is a Con a Con. Easy, Robin, When It's a Con.

Submitted: 9:01& 9:09 am, PST, 23 Dec.'10 Toronto Star
Flaherty rethinks Canada’s budget, Dec 23 2010, Blair Gable/For the Toronto Star, Les Whittington, Ottawa Bureau
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/911306--flaherty-rethinks-canada-s-budget?bn=1

"Ottawa must continue with hefty spending 'in order to continue to foster some economic growth,' Flaherty explained.

In 2011, the government expects the economy to expand by only 2.5 per cent, considerably lower than the 3.2 per cent Flaherty forecast in the budget last March.

Asked how extending infrastructure spending and earmarking more cash to help the unemployed would affect his pledge to reduce Ottawa's $45 billion budget deficit, Flaherty said the Conservatives might chop away at other areas of Ottawa's funding. 'What we could do is cut back on other spending in the government,' he remarked."


What happened to the Harper-Flaherty assertion: steady as she goes and we will grow out of deficit by 2015 - 2016 (as long as we remain in power, of course).

Don't tell me that was just a con by Harper, Flaherty and the rest of the Con's to gain people's confidence that they are sound fiscal managers. You know just another Flanagan Fundamental Principle of Con'ism as applied by Harper. (“It doesn't have to be true. It just has to be plausible").

If only there were an independent, non-parisan, institution that were, say, answerable to the people of Canada, that could let us know what our real fiscal situation is.

Oh, yah, thanks for reminding me, there is - the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), Jimmy Kevin (too early) Page.

Let's see, what does he have to say about this:

"In a report to be released Wednesday, Mr. Page warns there is only a small chance that the Conservative government will meet its deficit-slaying target.

Mr. Flaherty announced last month in his fall fiscal update that the federal deficit hit a record $55.6-billion last year but will be turned into a surplus by 2015-2016." (G&M 2 Nov.'10)

Oh,yah, then there's Mr Page's report on the infrastructure stimulus program . . . “It doesn’t score well on the employment side,” Mr. Page said in an interview with The Globe and Mail. “You’re spending a lot of money and it’s not creating very much in terms of jobs.” (G&M 2 Dec.'10)

Looks like Page was right on and Flaherty seems to have a somewhat distorted understanding of Canada's ecomony.

"Move over Jimi and let Kevi take over"

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html