The Liberal Party of Canada can no longer continue to support this ridiculously reckless Conservative government. Harper and his Harris clowns have continuously lied to the Canadian public and, with yesterday's budget, the lies are being perpetuated.
None of the money, save for home renovations, is going to make this economic storm go away overnight. Real Canadians that are down on their luck will not be getting help from this government. $2 billion for affordable housing doesn't really address the affordable housing long overdue in our major cities. Extending the EI to 50 weeks (if you live in the right region) does not address the need of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians that are and will be jobless this year. Those Canadians on Social Assistance won't benefit one iota from this budget. Not a dime will get to them.
Suggested infrastructure boosts involve the participation of cities that are already on the verge of bankruptcy matching the federal funds. In other words: it's not enough that the feds are going to be cash strapped, they want every level of government to participate in the ruination of Canada.
Every economist in the country warned the Conservatives not to cut the GST. But the Conservatives insisted it was the right move for Canada. So, out the window went $8 Billion a year. And for what? The average Canadian down on his luck never saw a difference in their life.
After 9 straight balanced Liberal budgets and surpluses and responsible Liberal fiscal management, this country has been plunged into the abyss. Michael Ignatieff would be absolutely wrong to trust this Conservative government with the financial future of Canada. Ralph Goodale and John McCallum forgot more about economics that Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty will ever know. This budget must not pass.
Anyway. Carry on. I know nothing. Hell, I don't even have a degree. Certainly not an economics degree from the University of Calgary and, I certainly don't have a degree from Oxford or Harvard either.
9 comments:
None of the money, save for home renovations, is going to make this economic storm go away overnight.
That's a stinker too. Most of the money will do nothing except subsidize renovations that would have occurred even without the incentive. To make matters worse, most of the projects we subsidize will be of no value to the country as a whole. What value does Canada get by subsidizing a new deck at some guy's summer cottage? If this money went into subsidizing energy efficient renovations the country would at least benefit from the reduction in ghg emissions resulting from decreased energy consumption.
I agree.
The opposition parties need to give Harper the hook. Enough said.
Yep.
Here's the rub James - my blog today comes down hard on Harper, for different reasons.
But, being honest, do you really believe that if the GST were still at 7%, in the midst of a world financial meltdown, which, to the credit of many, including Paul Martin, hit Canada easier than most others.. do you really believe that a Liberal government would not have pushed Canada into deficit? Seriously?
That being said - the current budget is simply an example of the illness of "power at any cost".
And will Ignatieff pull the plug - not in your life. Why? Because he can't win right now, and he'd prefer to watch Harper struggle with a sinking ship than take the rudder himself.. because, really, it's all about winning, isn't it? (see heavy, sad, sarcasm)
HEADLINE: Defeat PM over 'vindictive, nasty' budget, N.L. premier tells Liberals
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/01/28/williams-budget.html
I hope that by the end of the day that Canada's only true Opposition has NOT moved from Stornoway to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Hold your breath Peter.
Rob. Let's do the math here. if next year's deficit is to be $14 billion and the GST was bringing in $8 billion, wouldn't the net then have only been minus $6 Billion? Thereby the total after 5 years would be $44 billion deficit rather than $84 billion?
Assuming that there was no national daycare program, and that the Liberals wouldn't be any more generous than the Conservatives.. and keeping in mind that projected GST revenues in a time of significant recession would be significantly less..
But - as you know, I'm far from supporting the budget, personally, I would have increased consumpion tax two years ago - gas tax and GST.. but then, I'm no Harvard professor :)
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