Flaherty should be fired for $50B deficit: Grits

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Flaherty should be fired for $50B deficit: Grits

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CTV News Video

CTV News: Graham Richardson on the showdown

CTV National News: Craig Oliver on the unpredictability of the deficit may be a danger

CTV News Channel: BNN's Amanda Lang on the deficit's severity

Power Play: Ted Menzies, Parl., Sec. to finance minister and John McCallum, finance critic

Question period: Liberal MPs blast Tories over deficit

Question period: BQ and NDP MPs take the government to task on the massive budget deficit

CTV News Channel: Tom Clark, host of CTV's Power Play, with a budget 'reality check'

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CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Wed. May. 27 2009 10:54 PM ET

Smelling political blood, the opposition parties demanded Wednesday that Finance Minister Jim Flaherty be fired, a day after his shocking announcement that the federal deficit has swollen to $50 billion.

"How can the prime minister, or any other Canadian, have any confidence in the minister of finance?" Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff asked in the House of Commons Wednesday.

The Tory budget for this fiscal year far outstripped government predictions of $34 billion and is believed to be the largest-ever budget deficit in the country's history.

The opposition has seized on the numbers and said it is proof the government and its top "money man" can't be trusted with Canadians' tax dollars.

"Our government's finances are in free-fall, and there's no one at the wheel," Liberal finance critic John McCallum said in a release earlier in the day.

"This finance minister has blundered into the largest budget deficit in Canadian history, mere months after predicting a surplus and no recession."

McCallum also accused the Tories of botching the release of stimulus dollars and he said rising unemployment numbers prove the government's efforts to shock the economy back to life have fallen flat.

The latest opposition onslaught follows weeks of Liberal attacks centering on the Employment Insurance program. Both the NDP and the Liberals have been pushing the government to extend EI benefits.

"Now what do they have to show for their January budget? More than 40 per cent of the unemployed in this country aren't eligible for EI, even though they have paid into the system," said McCallum.

However, Prime Minister Stephen Harper accused the Liberals of doublespeak by asking for more stimulus dollars and then complaining about the deficit.

"What's at issue here is the credibility of the leader of the opposition, he's been here week after week demanding . . . that the government spend more permanently," Harper retorted.

Harper also stressed that the government is borrowing money at "historically low interest rates" to help people who have been thrown out of work during the recession.

Flaherty also denied that the deficit was the largest in Canadian history in terms of GDP percentage.

"The deficit is affordable," Flaherty said in Parliament. "It's necessary for Canada."

Still, the finance minister conceded that the government's financial situation wasn't as rosy as first predicted.

"It is true that the recession is deeper than anticipated, it is true that we are spending billions of dollars more on unemployment, on people in need of benefits . . . we think that is the right thing to do for Canadians," Flaherty said.

NDP Leader Jack Layton accused the government of creating structural deficits; an opinion that was echoed by economists, who said pulling the country's finances back into the black will be difficult.

The Tories haven't altered next year's prediction of a $30-billion deficit, even though economists believe that target will be nearly impossible to meet.

Equally troubling, TD Bank chief economist Don Drummond said Wednesday it will take several years before the budget is balanced.

Meanwhile, Flaherty is sticking to predictions that the budget will be balanced in only four years.

Comments are now closed for this story

GM
said

While I rarely agree with the federal Liberals. I do agree that Flaherty needs to go and not just over the defecit.

Tono
said

They'd fire the entire Conservative Party if they could.

Max
said

Could this Liberal biased media please report on the fact that it was the liberals who asked for so much "stimulus" spending to create the deficit in the first place, if I recall they threatened to go back for another election if the tories did not give a very left budget, and then they complain.
Typical liberals

Matt
said

The Liberals threaten to topple the government unless they unleash massive spending.

The Conservatives cave and spend money on a massive stimulus plan.

The Liberals then blame the Conservatives for the budget deficit they wanted.

Maybe the CPC should run stop those moronic Iggy ads and point out the Liberal multi-billion dollar flip flop.

Red X
said

Flaherty should pay for being the worst finance minister... $50 billion is largest in comparison to the surpluses he was forecasting for years to come in his fall Economic Statement 6 months ago.

I guess they could run footage of his words then and just last month that we wouldn't being running larger deficits. The Conservatives cut the independent financial watchdog; Kevin Page's office budget by $1 million even though his estimates were more realistic!?

Sean in Ottawa
said

Wait a minute...didn't the liberals, ndp and bloc recently have an alliance to overthrow the government over it's budget saying they weren't spending enough? Didn't the opposition parties just recently indicate that they would go to an election unless the governemt increased EI spending to make all Canadian elegible after 10wks of employment? Now they're saying that the finance minister should be canned because he overspent the budget? Well what if the government had agreed to their EI demands? would they also blame them for that spending too?

Rob NS
said

Wait a second...flashback to Dec 2008.... Liberals..."Spend or we will throw a coup and overthrow the goverment weeks after an election"..

Therefore the goverment spent, when they were against it...and now the Liberals have the b@lls to shout anyone is to blame besides themselves!!

The PM knew not to spend, but was forced by the Liberals.

These liberal games stink to high heaven....and the adverage Canadian who does not keep a good eye on them does not see the constant flip flops on their positions.

Iggy makes me sick, the biggest danger to Canada ever.

Paul in Mississauga
said

Some months ago, the Liberals were threatening to pull down the government if they didn't spend stimulus money like madmen. So, the Tories got drinking and got spending.

Now that the estimates for the deficit are back, the Liberals don't like it.

Please remember that the Liberals never do as they promise. (GST, Free Trade Re-negotiation) Cretien never, ever suggesting cutting spending but ended up doing it. If they promise something they will be otherwise.

Ian in Mississauga
said

From the look on Flaherty's face and his arm gesture it almost looks like he's saying "OK, I give up, take me to jail" lmao. All joking aside, it's not the amount of the deficit (although that is huge) but the manner in which it has been managed that has even Conservatives scratching their heads. It has not been a good week so far for Harper and it's only Wednsday, so what's next to come out. We need more honesty from these Cons. From a surplus (Jimbo's own words) to a $50 billion dollar (that we know of) deficit. What else hasn't Harper and Flaherty told us. We need warnings for this type of news.

Duster
said

I am tired of hearing Iggy banter about everything Harper snd his government are doing or not doing. It doesnt take a genious to figure out that stimulus packages will add to the deficit. It doesnt take a genious to figure out that we and the rest of the world are in a recession and a deficit is a "sure thing'. Iggy is nothing but a talker - he has not even proven to us that he can be successful at anything other than standing at his post and ranting and raving. MAybe Harper does have to go but "Iggy" is not a choice either. I smell another minority government and Iggy will get his chance to defend his no productive actions because guaranteed the opposition will destroy him after all his goings on.

Victor in Vaughan
said

I have to admit, it makes me sick to see us turning into a socialist country again.

I expected allot more out of the Conservatives.

Jim London
said

We need to get rid of the entire conservative party.

Helen
said

I'm not thrilled that the Finance Minister was clearly straining the truth when he talked about Canada's fiscal health during the election. However, in fairness, the Tories are reluctant converts to stimulus spending. Had the Coalition come to power I expect the deficit would have been much larger.

dougb
said

Stupid,Ignorant say anything Liberals.These idiots have no concept of anything other than pandering to the voters to further their own personal agenda of trying to steal power.Can you imagine the state of things if these dopes were ever to again be in power.They would again steal us blind,keep us uninformed,line their own pockets,drive us into bankrupcy and blame the PCs.

Aaron in Toronto
said

I am very confused with the Federal Liberal party. So they complaint that the deficit is going to be $16 Billion over the budget and on the other hand they are saying the gov't should make more people eligible for EI. Are we (Canadian taxpayers) that stupid to believe what they says? Was it not Dion, Layton and Ducepp that threaten the gov't to increase spending or else they will overthrow the gov't? So they want to take credit both way?

Back to the story, I think Jim Flaherty should be fired by not able to provide acurate number on the budget.

Tori
said

If the "coalition" had not threatened the PM and his office we would not have a huge deficit. It was the Liberal leader himself who demanded that the PC government provide a huge stimulus package to bolster the economy.

Mr Ignetieff even had meetings to approve the budgetary changes.

How silly of the Liberals now to ask for the Finance Minister's resignation or that he be fired when in fact the Liberal Party leader himself is just as responsible.

He demanded and he got what he demanded.

What a farce Mr. Ignetieff is.

Kenton in Calgary
said

What do these Liberals stand for? 2 things:

1. Spend more, or we'll topple you; and at the same time -

2. Spend less, or we'll topple you.

It's the usual Liberal (il)logic - nothing more - anyone who can't see it should open their eyes - or maybe close them - depending on which side of his mouth Count Ignatieff is speaking out of this particular day.

David
said

I would love to see the Liberals take power and show how you can spend money on a saggin economy in what is called the worst recession since the great depression as well as increase EI benefits payouts without running a deficit.

I think intelligent Canadians while not forgiving the conservatives for some of the failures, will see this as another example of Liberals trying to suck up to voters by promising to give them everything they need and then attacking the government even when they are doing the very think the Liberals promised they would do if they were in power(i.e. more stimulus spending)

Jim in Ontario
said

Ignatieff can criticize the deficit in the same sentence that he demands more stimulus. Absolutely incredible!

Rachelle
said

Weren't Libs that were screaming that we feds must spent money to save the Auto industry and etc etc and ... gee it is the same nothings has changed.

len
said

People from Ontario tried to warn the nation what a disaster this guy would in charge of the countries finances.

He blew this province up back in the 90s in boom time.

The bigger question is how could a PM, who his backers claim is one sharp cookie, make such a idiotic appointment given the track record of Flaherty?

PB_Toronto
said

I agree with Max and Matt. How moronic is that? Threaten to topple the government if they dont spend. Threaten to topple it if they do. Idiots!

In essence this is their fault but the benefit of being in the opposition is you dont have to take any of the blame.

Ian in Mississauga
said

Every one of you that are saying Harper was forced into this have to remeber one IMPORTANT thing. He could have stood up and said NO, couldn't he have, but he wanted to save his ass as well so he sold out every principle he believes in to save his job. You cannot blame the opposition for doing what they had a democratic right to do. Remeber, Harper tried the same thing in '05

David in Toronto
said

The opposition threatens to topple the government if they don't spend like drunken sailors in the budget, and when the government does it, they start screaming bloody murder for spending like drunken sailors.

Am I missing something here? Isn't this all because of the stimulus and bailouts that were demanded by the opposition, which they then blackmailed the government to impliment even though Bob Rae proved first hand as premier of Ontario that you can't spend your way out of a recession?

Did I get knocked out and wake up in some Bizarro World?

Red X
said

To the fiscal conservative posters; people could say wait a sec wasn't it "$34 billion?" The Harper Gov't in the last election promised balanced budgets... They received nothing in writing from the Liberal or NDP so the budget is Flaherty's to wear.

As for the Stimulus spending if you follow it going to predominately conservative ridings even though they only hold 143 of 308 seats.

Canadians are tired of Harper's sanctimony and hypocrisy. (see polls and neo-con attack ad response)

edd
said

Iggy should be fired for forcing a 50Billion deficit.

GTK
said

Not happy with a defecit but the liberals would have stolen more than that if they got in and the NDP would have given that much to the homeless.
I think they will fix this in time.

Don from Ottawa
said

Unbelievable.

Who else but opposition parties can complain about too little spending but also too much deficit?

No wonder Canadians are fed up with politicians.

Mary in Calgary
said

Shame on Flaherty! He is destroying our economy. This just makes me so angry... 34 to 50 billion? ...is he kidding us?

Kevin in Vancouver
said

It is important to note that Canada's deficit is the lowest in terms of dollars as well as persentage of GDP of any of the industrial nations. Even China is throwing money at the economy to try and stimulate spending and job creation.

And let's not forget that Ignatief's country (USA) is in the worst shape of all industrial nations. I know Canada is my country but I'm not to sure if it's Iggy's.

MW in Thunder Bay
said

Of course Mr. Flaherty should be fired. However, it should not be for the size of the deficit but for the fact that he was willing to run a deficit at all.

As for the Liberals; they're the ones who pushed for deficit spending in the first place, when they entered into a coalition with the Bloc and the NDP after last fall's election.

Eastern Bob
said

Either they're leaders, or they're followers. They can't be both. If the deficit is because Harper and Flaherty did what the opposition wanted, then they're followers, not leaders. If they carried out their own policy, then the deficit is their responsibility. Attacking Ignatieff isn't going to fix what's wrong.

VL
said

It's time to get Conservative party out of the office. Harper said in early year that Canada is in so good financial condition that we wouldn't have any issue of financial crisis. They really don't know what to do. Shame on them.

KM
said

The Liberals are a bunch of hypocrits. Didn't they scream bloody murder when the Conservatives weren't spending fast enough 6 months ago. What would they have done differently? Now is not the time for stupid politics. Lets focus on getting the economy back on track.

Mark
said

Sean makes an excellent point. Not a few months ago the Liberals, NDP and Bloc were up in arms and full of righteous indignation because the government wasn't going far enough with stimulus recovery.

If the Liberals were in power we'd be seeing a larger deficit and it "would all be necessary and for the good of the country".

Ignatieff, McCallum and the rest are beyond hypocrites. It's laughable.

gh
said

come on get real,they are trying to improve the crappy economy with spending, no matter who is in power they would have a defiecit.
So shut up, stop grand standing and run the country,
and make it work!!!!

cathy
said

If it is not this, then the EI issue. The Liberals are making it plain , they want soooo badly to get into power.. Mr. Ignatieff can smell the PM job now ..

Nick
said

This is the usual Liberal tactic to make the Conservatives look bad. They pressure the government into doing something stupid, and when it bottoms out, they make it look like it was all the Conservatives fault! I hope most Canadians are smart enough to see through this farce.

Cambob
said

I am very disappointed that the Conservatives caved into the Coalition with the budget.

But, I understand why Harper's boys did it. If they had not, Dion would be Prime Minister now, Jack Layton would be Sinister of Finance and Gilles Duceppe would be 'supporting' for the good of all (only) Quebec.

So, yeah... 50 billion from the Conservatives, or unimaginable trillions from the Coalition. Seem like we've dodged a bullet.

Bring it on.
said

Bring it on, if the Libs feel they can do a better job,than vote the bums out. But I doubt the Libs with a lack of funds or policy have the balls to go to the polls.

Holly
said

I agree with Max. It is so typical of the Liberals to conveniently forget they demand this bailout for everyone. Oh and wait now they want a changes to EI which will of course increase the deficit again. The only problem here was Canadians not giving the Consevatives a majority government so they would not have had to bow down to the Liberal/NDP/Bloc spending alliance.

Andrew Saskatchewan
said

To the Liberal Party of Canada. How stupid do you think the Canadian people are? If you didn't want the stimulus package then you should have voted it down and went to the polls with your plan of increased taxation and increased spending.

dawn
said

like the cons are gonna do anything for the benefit of canada...they are to dam busy selling the country in to the poorhouse

redstar
said

Where is the balanced reporting. every other comment reflects on the Liberal demand for stimulus spending prior to todays dog and pony show by ignatieff. Perhaps the reporters could do a least a little bit of research before publishing this liberal rhetoric

Kris
said

It's true that the Liberals are being hypocrites (surprise!) by threatening to topple the government over more stimulus spending while also criticizing the resulting deficit.

HOWEVER, Harper should have stood up to them and refused to jump on the stimulus bandwagon. I too am disappointed in the Conservatives. They have been acting like Liberals.

Scott
said

People! Stuff a sock in it... Canada is a country 1/10th the size of the United States who has a current proposed deficit of 1 Trillion dollars ... That places our 50 Billion dollar deficit at 1/5th the size. So enough with the rants, stuff a sock in it and move along!

James in Vancouver
said

CTV has zero Conservative or Liberal bias 99% of the time.

That said, the incompetence is that 6 months ago according to the Conservatives there was no recession, Canada would not be going into deficits, everything was fine. And now we have a $50B deficit (and ran a small deficit last year - not a surplus ending a decade of prudent fiscal management under the Liberals)....

How can we have confidence in such a finance minister or government? In the Private Sector you would be fired, why should it be any different in the Public Sector's highest offices?

40% of the unemployed do not qualify for EI despite paying into it. With the changes the West and Ontario (who need it the most) would benefit. But if Harper can't see reason, then we should go to an election over his continued incompetent government.

Les And in BC
said

Maybe the feds should pump another 10 billion or so into the Ontario coffers and that will appease the Ontario Liberals.

Jeez, no matter which government is sitting in power, the Canadian economy is going be hurting. It's a Global recession, not a singled out Canadian recession.

The Libs will yap and spout off to no end just to hear themselves make noise and be noticed by the eastern based media.

Peter Rapsey
said

Tono, and so they should. History shows the conservatives always hurt the country's economy , and the Liberals come in to fix it up. In this case, you have a man that helped Harris rape Ontario to the point we are still digging out. Now he is helping Harper do the same thing to the entire country.

FSN
said

These double talking Liberals are a joke.

Idiots!

Beat the trators, they seem to need it
said

1. The liberals set up most of the policies that led to this deficit in the first place.

2. If i remember correctly the liberals threatened collation and downfall of the government unless a large deficit was created to help Canadians.

3. The liberals didn't think there was enough stimulation in the budget we did get.

4. The liberals should stop complaining about policies and decisions that they created and then reversed themselves on just to be on the other side.

5. The opposition should start working together like a government should, maybe then we could solve the problem and get on with life.

Concerned Canadian
said

As usual, there's fault on both sides. Conservative posters are correct for pointing out that the coalition threatened to topple the government if they didn't acknowledge that the economy was in trouble, and that massive government spending was needed to stimulate the economy. This wasn't a "coup", as even Mr. Harper had to acknowledge, but a legitimate and necessary curtailment of a minority government that was playing chicken with the Canadian economy.

But Conservative posters are correct in calling the Liberals hypocrites for decrying what they previously demanded. Much of this deficit was based on coalaition demands.

On the other hand, the stimulus package was only meant to cost around 34 billion. The Tories find themselves falling further into debt as a consequence of cutting the GST, so Liberal criticism is warranted to the extent that the Torries placed us in this position through their policies, not just coalition demands.

But it's amazing to see Conservatives who previously claimed that no stimulus was necessary because the economy wasn't in trouble, now supporting a deficit on the grounds that we need the stimulus, while Liberals complain about financial overspending that they are partly responsible for.

If mismanagement can be proven, then make Flaherty resign. If the stimulus money has not been spent well, then let the Torries get rid of him, and the people get rid of Mr. Harper.

Otherwise, both Flaherty and Harper and probably doing exactly what the coalition would have done, with the same results, and ought not to be criticized too severely.

J.W.
said

Isn't Iggy just visiting this country as per commercial?

Out of all the parties I trust the conservative's casue like there name says they conserve!

Iggy and moustache guy would have defecit in triple digit million dollar defecit so they can support all the union groups.

Canadians Aren't Stupid, Iggy
said

Victor, while I agree that I also don't want to go down the socialist path, it isn't the Conservatives (they are NOT PC's by the way) fault. They were blackmailed into the last budget by the opposition parties. Effectively, everything that has happened in the past 6 months can be laid at the feet of the Liberals and NDP. If the coalition takeover were allowed to happen back in December, we'd be in a hell of a lot more hurt than we are now.

Doug in Stratford
said

I think it's a matter of if the minister really knows what is happening. If memory serves me right when he was in Ontario provincial goverment he said we had a surplus which actually was a defict. Hence why they now have a separate goverement office to give true finanical reports here in ontario

Mike in ON
said

Judging by the comments here, VERY few are buying into this farce, despite their joke-of-a-leader's best efforts.

Hey, you acclaimed him as leader...now you hafta live with it. Let's see...so far, he's LEAD....nothing, flapped his gums a lot, but as of yet, still hasn't managed to come up with anything resembling a policy. Good thing he's 'just visiting.'

Edb
said

Love it !
Keep yapping Iggy, your incoherent rambling will prety much guarantee the Convservatives a majority the next time around.
Well played Mr Harper, let this charlatan hog as much of the spotlight as he get get. Even your war chest couldn't buy advertisement like this.

Richard
said

4 things the Government should do:

1) Lower the taxes

2) Undo the things that created the deficit. We can not afford to have a deficit. We pay way too much taxes in Canada. The Government should just cancel some of their plans. And politicians should have a reduction on their pay cheques.

3) Make the laws tougher, and stronger. Because criminals should be put in prison for a long time. And also it is the Government's duty to protect Canadians.

4) Protect the environment, and protect the animals. Wild life animals need to be protected. Don't let the big companies take over the land.

When John Thompson was prime minister things were better. The Conservative Government back then knew how to govern LOL

BMM
said

If the Liberals want the FM fired why not get Iggy to stop shooting of his mouth about bringing down the governemnet and actually do it? If the party that does not even have a platform yet wants us to believe that they could do a better job then they should go to the polls.If he is not willing to do so then he should just shut up. Canadians are sick of listening to his shrill cries of alarm. Particualrly whe he and his party are offering no alternatives. They are just the Seifeld Party, they party about nothing lead by the man who is about nothing.

RVH
said

Libs proped em up so they are as much to blame. They critizize when the spend to much and when they spend to little.

Julie
said

Yes the opposition may have said "spend" but would they not have also approved the redrafted budget after that whole mess?
I find it hard to believe that they (as a collective opposition) would approve a redrafted budget that projected a 50B deficit, then freak out about it.
We should be asking what was the budget that the government as a whole agreed upon and why has it gone so over budget.

Mark
said

So let me get this straight;

The opposition wants Flaherty fired for allowing a deficit to occur.

This same opposition, just mere weeks ago, was slamming the government for not spending more to 'stimulate the economy'.

In the NDP's case, they *still are*

Am I the only one who sees the logic problem here?

Mike in Calgary
said

As much as I’m upset about a $50 Bil deficit, I cannot support the liberals on this issue until they suggest what they would cut to save money. (A sizable cut, proportional to the problem).

Would they suggest removing the auto bailout? Would they try to save costs on EI? What programs would they cut?

Or, would they raise taxes in a recession?

So far, what I have been hearing from the liberals is more, more, more. After all that, they can’t really stand back and say – ‘WOW, this is expensive’ & ‘fire the conservatives for doing what we would have done.’

R/H Ontario
said

Ignatieff and his Merry band of Followers are so contradictory!

"If you (the Cons) don't spend more money on a stimulus package, we WILL topple you!" Now it's, "You (The Cons) have spent way too much, (just like we told you to). These Liberals are just the same as ever, a POWER HUNGRY BUNCH.

All they want is to get their snouts in the trough and steal Canadians money again! What a farce Ignatieff turned out to be. I think Dion had more love for Canada in his little finger then Ignatieff ever had and ever will have. Vote him out, you Liberal losers. Can't you see what a phony he is? -- I shall be amazed if CTV posts this comment, they are so biased.

Sam from BC
said

The Stooges at it again. Yes biggest fiscal meltdown ever and three stooges blaming Con"s for it. They were the ones to run out and say spend spend spend then slam the Con"s for doing it. Complain the funds coming out too slow then hold up the works> Give me a break, they all need to go as they can"t seem to work together to do what is right. I say get rid of all of them.

Red X
said

Prior to Harper's Machiavellan Prorogation to avoid a scheduled Vote of Confidence; Last November, Flaherty agreed to spend 2% of GDP after his meeting with the IMF & World Bankers. So Iggy could not be held to what happened under Harpy OR Dion...

Mark
said

This is too funny. The Liberals and NDP tried to hijack the government 6 months ago by saying the Tories were not deficit spending enough and that they would prepare a massive stimulus package for Canada. Americanized & crowned Iggy should go back to America or Britian.

Every country is running a substantial deficit, which is what happens when the world is in a bad recession.

James
said

The Conservatives are in power. They eroded the tax base and brought us to deficits last year. They are failing 40% of the unemployed that cannot access EI after paying into it. The West is specifically hit the hardest having an unfair EI system judging regionally hours worked instead of a uniform system. The CPC is also failing to get stimulus funds out the door. Six months ago Harper-Flaherty told us there was no deficit, now we're sitting on a record $50B one. That's incompetence.

Adam Jab
said

The Liberals demanded the Con's to put forward a stimulus package yes. But the Conservatives did a piss poor job of it resulting in a gigantic deficit AND higher unemployment numbers. I think the long standing Conservative denial that anything is wrong with the economy is mainly to blame. The only good they have done is to announce infrastructure funding. Now they should push for these infrastructure projects to start moving ahead instead of sitting on the money and ideas.

GJS - Markham
said

The Liberals will again clean-up after the conservatives drive us into a gigantic deficit situation.

The Cons always accuse the Liberals of being big spenders; however, history shows that they manange the economy to balaneced budgets and surpluses.

The Liberals have demonstrated they have the foresight and management skills to spend wisely and effectively address short term issues while at the same time building the knowledge base to maintain and grow the economy.

Contrast that with how in 3 years the conservatives have squandered surpluses and set nothing aside for the "rainy day" that has befallen us.

AS well as being without vision and plans, the Conservatives through their programs attack the most vulnerable in our society.

WE MUST GET RID OF HARPER AND HIS INCOMPETENT SIDEKICKS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

Nick in Gatineau
said

Historically, the party that spent the most is the Conservative party.

The last time we saw such a big deficit - which increases our debt by the way - was during Mulroney's reign.

The Liberals asked the conservatives to pump money into the system during the election and both Harper and Flaherty said there was nothing wrong with the economy. Then the conservatives agreed to it upon request by the WTO, OECD and the IMF.

How much money has actually rolled out to Infrastructure projets ? The majority of projects that are in operation were already budgeted for and have nothing to do with the stimulus package.

Are we going to see another one of these Oil-for-cash type of schemes with the cash ending up in MP's off-shore bank accounts instead of Infrastructure projects ?

If the deficit has grown - is growing bigger, that means you borrowed it and spent it. Its not spent so ...

WHERE IS THE MONEY ?

PepperPot
said

Here's Iggy playing the tough guy - don;t mess with me. He;s about as touch as a wet noodle. Spend more but don;t run such a big deficit - is that brilliant or what? Iggy is just playing politics and not doing a very good job at that. Every country in the world is spending more so what makes Canada so special

M. B. Ont
said

Oh my gawd... I cannot believe what I am reading that Iggy wants the finance minister canned for such a large deficit !! Iggy saying this after demanding the Conservatives spend big on a stimulus pkg or the Liberals will overthrow the gov't. And he still wants the gov't to spend , spend, spend on their every whim. Enough is enough out of this loud mouth!
For all the Liberals and others who are complaining about this hugh deficit.. what do you want? This is a MINORITY gov't, therefore they all have to work together. Remember when Harper wanted to do things without the support of the other parties, everyone screamed that he was not working with the other parties. Now when he does what they ask for, the Liberals are pouncing on him and the Conservatives.
Wake up people, the Gov't is keeping Canada afloat through this recession. WE would probably be much better off if the Unions had not screwed things up over the last how many years with GM and Crysler and now the companies need tax dollars to help them keep people employed.
For those of you who love pointing the fingers , please let your name stand for the office of Prime Minister and Finance Minister and lets see the kind of job you can do. And that does not include you Iggy !
I am frankly so tired of the Liberals and Iggy flapping his flappers at this gov't.WE all know what the Liberals did with the taxpayers money when they were in power, sponsorship scandal, rob EI to balance a buget to show a surplus. Nothing like fudging the numbers Liberals. At least Flaherty tells it like it is.. a Big deficit .. to help the people of Canada get through this recession.

guppies
said

Told you thousands times, he can't be trusted. Today is 50+B and tomorrow will be more. We just can't stop this. The Fed. keep on throwing our tax $ away.

Example over $6 - $9b go to Gm for what. Wonder why we are is a hole. Total 12% - 18% of our total deficit.
Anyone can take his job and do better. Since he don't know what he is doing to start with.

I haven't see one good thing this guy done for me (at least) and I been paying taxes for the last 35+ years.

I should ask my boss to layoff me and take EI for a year. At least to get some of my money back before they flush it.

Fire him ! And Harper too !
stop this dog and pony running around.

Ryder
said

Ignatieff reminds me of the start of all football games. You know, when the coin leaves the ref's thumb and flips and flips and flips and flips again and again, until it lands on either its head or its other end. Sooner or later the same will happen to the self-appointed leader of the Liberals.

Retired Soldier in Kingston, ON
said

For Liberal Leader, Michael Ignatieff and his Finance Critic to feign "shock" at the size of the current deficit smacks of incredible hypocrisy...even for a politician!

After all, the combined Opposition was instrumental in causing the Conservatives to introduce a massive
"stimulus package" in Dec '08, in order to allow them to continue to govern!

Consequently, Stephen Harper gave the country and Opposition politicians what they supposedly wanted!

Rather then playing politics now, for short term gain and the dubious prospect of power, Canadians want the Opposition parties to work constructively with Stephen Harpers Conservatives to help the unemployed get back to work!

That way we can all avoid a potential fourth federal election in the previous 4.5 years, along with an election tab of $400 million+ to stick to the long-suffering Canadian taxpayer!

Pro Patria

George S Calgary
said

We are all in trouble if he is the best player Harper can put on the field. By deflecting blame to the Liberals only acknowledges that they have a better team and better players.

JT in Van-city
said

Typical Liberals!

They demand the stimulus package that the economy doesn't need, THEN they want the Conservatives to pay politically for getting it!

Bring on the next election! Let's put Iggy back on a bus back to Harvard!

Typical Liberals!!

Marg MM
said

It is enlightening to read that the majority of you see through the Liberals and their haughty attitude.

I really do believe that even though we are going to be in deficit for the short term, at this time in a world wide economic crisis,money needs to be spent to help unemployed Canadians, and when things are back on track, the deficit will be paid down.

I also believe that we would be facing a much higher decifit,and be in a lot worse shape, were the Liberals in power.

PM Harper, damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't.

Chimo
said

all you pro Liberal wankers have selective memories. How is it you think the liberal party would have done a better job dealing with the economic crisis? Maybe they would collect back the billions wasted on the Adscam or maybe they could claw back the money dumped into a failing gun registry. The fact is, the liberals would have done the exact same thing as the tories if they were incharge. Its also funny how the liberals blame a failed EI process , when they are the ones who decimated the EI program while running the country for over a decade.

Daisy
said

How can Iggy ask for the finanace minister to be fired - when the liberal party threatened Flaherty to stimulate the economy by forcing him to dump money into the recession problems.

THe only person that should be fired is the leader of the oppostion "IGGY".

You requested the changes to the budget you should be held accountable as well.

Mike
said

Liberals, NDP and Bloc asked for more in the budget based on the "FIB-gures" that Flaherty and Harper provided them.

But they didn't ask for $16 billion more to the budget - that's all Flaherty's doing.

We all saw what Flaherty and Harris did to the province of Ontario and it's budgets and the effects of downloading costs and services to the municipalities (which the current Provincial Liberals are trying to remedy ... slowwwly). Based on Flaherty's provincial track record, is this really a surprise?

Becky
said

To Jim London:

We need to get rid of the entire LIBERAL party.

Ray In AB
said

Good old Libs, you know, If i were the Cons, id just resign at this point, Let ignatieff have his update in a few months saying the deficit is 100 billion more than the cons was, and then we can call an election and get a majority cons govt. I say resign Mr Harper, And let these Libs spend, spend, spend, tax tax tax spend a little more, tax a lil more.. spend, spend, tax tax.. get that liberal supporters. Thats exactly what will happen

George in Calgary
said

Spend, spend, spend; that's what the libs wanted and now it is too much. That's the bottom line. If the libs were in power then it would be 100 billion or more and maybe just maybe it may end up being that much. But folks lets take it as it comes. The libs would have gone for the full 100 billion right off the bat.

Small steps is what is needed as the need arises. EI increases will push it even higher and the libs want nothing better then to put everyone on EI. The NDP would certainly back this idea. At what cost?

Again small cautious steps are what is needed at this time. With that kind of approach then no one, not even "King" Iggy would or could prdedict down to the last penny exactly what the deficit would be.

Small cautious steps folks is the right and correct approach.

Funny to see the worst economist in question period stand up and whine; yes the almighty Bob Rae (king in waiting). Ha ha.

Bards
said

I'm amazed that there are people that are so dedicated to their own political bias that the finance minister not 6 months ago projects a surplus, then delivers the largest deficit in national history and they still blame the opposition. Take the partisan blinders off for just a moment people.

annie, ontario
said

How stupid can we be?

Cap and trade, IE: tax and distribute will cosy every Canadian much more.

Thank anyone we don't have a halfwit liberal government in power, remember Trudeau? One of Canada,s worst experiences. He did what the liberals propose.

spaz
said

Can ANYONE IMAGINE what the deficit would be if the Lib/NDP/Bloc amagamation would have gone through ?????

The bright side.....no one would have been able to understand the explanation given by Dion......truly a leader NOBODY wanted

Joel
said

Coservative apologists you are attacking strawmen. The Coalition did indeed understand that spending would amount to a deficit. That's not the issue here. The issue is that the Conservatives have put out 2 budgets that have promised or at least forcasted certain numbers. On each occasion these numbers have been dead wrong. This is the reason we should have zero confidence in Mr. Flaherty, he seems unable to deliver a budget that meets the lofty rehtoric of the party.

Kevin in Alberta
said

I think IGGY should finish his visit and go home to the USA. He can be back with his cocky greedy friends in the US. Bye bye IGGY!

Prof. Pye Chartt
said

IGGY THE FINGER-POINTING MANNEQUIN

Knowing full-well that if he was in charge, Ignatieff would be taking shots from the Conservatives over the deficit ballooning to $85B on his dutiful watch, seeing the Liberal pretender to the throne of PM wave his plastic righteous-indignation finger is rich and amusing.

Question Period in the House of Commons is for putting on a parliamentary show, and Iggy did his expected song and dance on queue.

Having said that, however, you'd have to be more than a little politically biased and softheaded to not be phased by Mr. Flaherty's inability (communicative failure) to keep Canadians up to reasonable speed with the progression of our government's drunken spending of our money.

As someone who values fiscal conservatism as part of his ideology, I'm not impressed with the Conservatives' "compromising" political attitude as part of their bogus concern for hanging onto federal power.

Time to re-work the Party.

Paul
said

I am not happy that all of a sudden the budget is 16 Billion more. But, we are sitting at an unprecedented juncture in history. Not putting in the money for economic stimulus may hurt us ten fold just a few short years from now. Conservatives need to be more forthcoming when it comes to our deficit.

As for the Liberals?!?!?! More stimulus or we bring you down and now that there is more deficit, we want resignations. Plus, we want more EI changes?!?! Seriously, try being a part of the solution instead of denouncing everything. What do you stand for?

Young Canadian
said

The way I look at it, the deficits would be fine if they showed results. But even after they put the stimulus in the spring budget the deficit has grown by 16 billion and we have continued to lose jobs.

Does anyone know how much of the stimulus money has been spent yet?

bill-ontario
said

you think 50 b is bad? thank god the three stooges didn't get in a few months ago. we'd be bankrupt.

John
said

If you didn't want the stimulus package then you should have voted it down and went to the polls with your plan of increased taxation and increased spending.

Pip
said

How can the Liberals demand the resignation of a finance minister who is doing exactly what they - and the NDP and Bloc - demanded? I seem to remember that just a few days ago they were demanding a reduction in the number of weeks worked to be eligible for EI, a move that would certainly cost even more billions over and above the projected deficit. They don't seem to know what they want - and keep changing their minds like petulant, spoiled kids.

Seems to me, they are more concerned with bringing down the government than in what is good for the nation - just because they believe they are entitled to govern.

To politicians of all stripes: you are supposed to be acting in the best interests of the nation, not in the best interests of your re-election. The $300 million an election would cost could be better used elsewhere.

Ray in AB
said

to Scott

Do you work for the Liberals, if 50 billion equals 1 / 5th of a trillion then you can go stuff a sock in it. 1 / 5th of a trillion is 200 billion. Canada's deficit is much smaller on scale than any other country. Be grateful its not the Liberals, NDP and the Bloc in power... Could you imagine.. the homeless guy you walk by on your way to work today, would be in a brand new house, no mortgage , and collecting ei for life tomorrow

Ralph in NB
said

do the liberals think the people of Canada are stupid!They were going to take down the government if they didnt start spending so they did and now that there is a deficit they are up in arms over it. It was the liberals idea in the frist place.

Adam
said

While the Liberals were in party:

My company gave raises at work,
My work never layed off anybody.
I felt comforable buying stuff.
Gas never was more than 80 cents.
We never had a down turn and got out off the last one 10+ years.

Conservative party:
My company has cut out giving raises.

My company has layed off over 6000 people in Canada.

I am cheap now because I fear for what is happening in the world.

Gas went well over a $1.10 last year (110 on the markets) and right now it is almost a dollar ($60 on the markets) Do the math.

Finally , Remember nov last year, Harper and Flaherty "Canada is stable, we will not see a down turn"

When will Canadians figure out the Conservatives should be in there own words "just visiting".

Leigh Catley, Ottawa
said

The issue is not whether we should be running a deficit, that is an obvious yes. The concern I have is this Finance Minister’s and in fact this Governments continued demonstration of an inability to forecast impact and spend. First it was the inability of this government to declare a recession and now it’s an inability to forecast revenue vs. spend. Come on, these are the basics. I am not looking for perfection here but a little closer would be nice. The Minister needs to go, not because we are running a deficit but because he has no idea how to manage.

Mojo from Whitby
said

Mr Flaherty YOUR FIRED. You have bungled everything you have touched since entering politics. You don't represent your constituents properly. The only thing you have done is pad your own resume.

Richard Brown - NB
said

Lets not forget.. and i know you haven't . .the sponsership scandal.. a LIBERAL misuse of funds which will never benefit the country unlike the stimulas moneies being spent now. The liberals are far from being ready to govern this country. One more point.. they were crying a few months back when the stimulas money was being announced that we were not spending enough. .and were sabre rattling election talks.. just crazy.. now its an attack on the conservatives for not handling the nations spending correctly.. what a joke.. this from the ones who can't even keep books on their own spending. re: HRDC / sponsership scandal / Gun registery.. need i say more??

Jayme
said

GJS - Markham
You have to be kidding me.The liberals would do no better maybe worse.Some of you are talking like there some white night thats going to save the country.

canadiandime
said

the liberals and ndp make me laugh with all the stuff they are saying about firing him,you cant have it both ways, someone let me know when they actually do something different, i'm off to watch the paint drying channel on tv

Jim K
said

I'm thinking is this money wasted. No, it's money used to prop up industries and an increasing EI benefits and such. Not one dime was used to stuff the pockets of their friends. Iggy, has no other plan except to increase taxes.

Ian
said

The Libs want the Gov't to open up the vault and give everyone UI after working 10 weeks, but they complain that there is a large defecit. The only reason they ever balanced the budget in the past is because they taxed the crap out of us and ran up a huge UI surplus. Then they created the UI rules that we now have in place, ie regional parity, yet now they want the tories to remove these regional rules. If the Tories capitulate on this one, and the defecit goes up even more, the Libs will jump all over them again. You can't suck and blow at the same tiem!

Andrea
said

Holly crap, if Harper does not ask for Flaherty's resignation, I can see a confidence motion coming soon.Then we could be in for an election, rather we like it or not!

I guess it all depends on the NDP and the Bloc.

Vince M
said

Didn't the Liberals want him to spend MORE?

BMM
said

To: James

If you are going to quote figures you should use the actual figures and not just pull them out of your rear end. Stats Canada says that 85% of those eligible for EI are receiving benefits. I wonder if you were whining as loud when the Liberals put this EI system in place? FYI, Stats Can and the TB confirm that here was no deficit last year there was a $1.5B surplus, just as the FM predicted and despite the shrill predictions of Iggy and his minion Kevin Page, not to mention McCallum on his sober days who were making wild predictions about of a $10B deficit. As for stimulus funding we are at about 7% out the door. Not bad for only six weeks and way ahead of the US and most of the EU. We would have been able to do better if the Opposition parties had not used every means at their disposal to delay the process. We are also now on track to have about 30-40% out the door by the Jun update.

Richard
said

The Liberals are good at one thing.. playing political games. that is it. It takes a realy party to lead a country. Opposition to them is simply to say NO to everything and run against the grain.. how about thinking about the country instead of just "the liberal party" You make it very clear that your party is not ready to govern. not at all.

Lorne Dove
said

Reality is that I beleive we were in debt before the last election, you could see it in Flaherty face when he talk abou the finacies.

In my opinion he lied to us to get elected and again with this 34 billion and I can't believe him even now with the 50 Billion. I beleive it to be much higher, and I believe he will make another announcement telling us just that, and yes I believe he should be fired with no servernce package.

The dictator Harper and his crownies have proven to me that they can't be trusted.

They will in my opinion do whatever they can even break there own laws (which they did with the election dates)to get what they want and the hell with the canadian people and the law.

I don't like "Ignetieff" he doesn't look trustworthy,

I'm not impressed with the NDP leader, he's been around to long and has proven he can't win an election.

The Green party has all the right ideas but unknow leader.

Canadians are really stuck between a "Rock and a hard place".

Summery:( my opinion)

Conseratives- liers/breakers of law/not good with our money.

Liberal- Leader who I don't know/ yet to prove anything besides he can complain.

NDP- Leader has proven he can win 4th /Boring/never to achive anything higher.

Greens- unknow leader/good fresh ideas/ little media attention.

So I say lets get Dr. David Suzuki to run for the Green party leader and we could shake up our polictical system to the core.

Of all the leader I listed and David Suzuki, who would you trust??
I know for me it would be Dr. David Suzuki.

Your Sincerly
Lorne Dove
Agassiz, BC
V0M1A2

Jo in Gtown
said

I'm fairly certain I'm not alone in thinking we need mature individuals in Ottawa, and not the big crybabies that are making useless noise. So much time and effort is wasted with the bitching and whining - he said/she said - spend but don't spend, etc etc etc. Grow up boys & girls, your constant petty arguing over nothing is getting on my nerves. Stop the moaning and take a big dose of reality. Start working for the people of Canada that put you there.

westerner
said

What part of the worlds financial situation have the liberals missed??

Amar
said

If the liberals were in charge it would be at least $200 billion

PJR
said

I am just waiting for the conservative bloggers here to start blaming this on trudeau and the NEP! The fact is, this government has made a total mess of the country's finances and both Flaherty and Harper need to go. PERIOD

Remarkable
said

What a joke! He wants Flaherty fired over the deficit. Well Hello! For those who are not aware, we are in the midst of one of the worst recessions in decades, federal taxes arent' coming in like they were and revenue of all kinds are way, way down. On top of all that, the Feds are doing exactly what the opposition wants and that is to increase federal spending by the billions, therefore you are going to have a huge deficit.

Maybe the opposition forgot their wish list. Or maybe they should be careful what they wish for.

Jay-TO
said

"Wait a minute...didn't the liberals, ndp and bloc recently have an alliance to overthrow the government over it's budget saying they weren't spending enough?"

Very cheeky. Our government is not a coalition the last time I checked and correct me if I am wrong but the conservatives could have refused and still can refuse. They dug themselves into this hole while claiming to be prudent fiscal managers. They also hid a deficit before a stimulus package was even put together.

Lets bill conservative voters for this mess of a government.

You sir had a choice. BIGGEST DEFICIT EVER. Even bigger than Mulroney's.

mollyf
said

Ignatieff is the only guy I know who can criticize the deficit in the same breath as his "demand" for increased stimulus. I am used to politicians flip flopping positions over a period of days, not seconds.

Ryan in NS
said

I have a bad habit of actually reading the comments on these stories. Perhaps trying to get a feel for the pulse of the Canadian public. Why is this a "bad" habit? Because the majority of what I see on here are people that are completely reactionary, partisan to a fault, and devoid of any memory. Not to mention reasoning.

The Conservatives said that we would have surpluses, that there was no recession, and even if there was it wouldn't affect Canada. Then after it was painfully obvious they were completely wrong they stuck to their guns. The other parties decided to utilize the democratic power that we as Canadians bestowed upon them threatened a coalition to ensure that this recession was no longer ignored. The conservatives ran away, then finally caved and decided to acknowledge the reality of the recession. But even after they released their haphazard budget which was the precise opposite of a surplus - e.g. the biggest deficit in Canadian history - they said "mistakes will be made" thereby absolving themselves of any responsibility with this extraordinary debt load they were placing on us. And now they are telling us they were wrong and in fact it is 47% larger than they originally thought. Even if you are strictly PC this string of ineptitude should concern you greatly as a Canadian. Never mind blaming the opposition parties for something that the Conservatives accomplished completely and utterly alone. If the opposition hadn't of pushed for the stimulus spending (which EVERY other government in the world was doing due to the fact that is was proven after the great depression to be the best way out of economic slowdowns) we would be heading for a very bad time. The rest of the world would have frowned on us as well.

Jay-TO
said

Anyone ever stop to think that a country the size of Canada with so few people cannot be a capitalistic country the way that reformatories want it?

Seems we were doing fine until the election of a conservative minority. Its been down hill here and abroad for Canadians. Yes people living outside of Canada are still Canadians, contrary to the fascist rantings of the CPC.

Please take Harper back Alberta and build your firewall. You have done enough damage.

BMM
said

To Adam:

Thank-you so much for giving the whole world the solution to the world wide economic situation! According to you we just have to vote the Liberals in and it will all be over. In fact according to your rationale if we had kept them in power it would never have happened. Wow I knew that the Liberals were deluded with misconceptions about their own self importance but this really takes the cake!!

Marg MM
said

To: GJS-Markham.

Perhaps you are too young or too naive to know how the Liberals balanced their budgets and created surplusus.

Here's how:

Offloading to the provinces, thus creating shortages in health care and education spending.

Cutting the military to the bare bones, so they would have shown up in Afghanistan in jungle attire.

Raiding the EI fund for general revenue to create an imaginary surplus.

These are a few of the things, I won't even go into the scandals, but of course if you are comfortable with that kind of Government, then by all means vote Liberal, but be careful what you wish for.

Nick in Gatineau
said

A quick timetable....

During the election, the opposition parties were the ones who saw there was a problem with the economy.

The opposition had the same insight as the international community and asked for a stimulus package which the conservatives refused.

The opposition threatened a coalition.

The conservatives prorogued parliament.

The conservatives attended international meetings - that outlined an international strategy of massive stimulus packages targeting Infrastructure. Exactly what the Liberals asked for 1 month earlier.

The conservatives forced the passing of a budget by screwing over EI recipients if it was not passed and by adding a few things. Thus most of the budget is still a mystery.

Where and on what has the money been spent if it has been spent ?

WHERE IS THE MONEY ?

Ottawa Ken
said

The Liberals and NDP are screaming that the Conservatives are not bailing out enough "Canadians". Well, have they forgotten that these bail outs actually cost money?

Steve
said

The deficit would have been just as large if the Liberals were in power if not larger. We wouldn't fire a police officer for getting into a shootout with a bank robber, we shouldn't fire our finance minister for trying to navigate an economic fire storm.

Peter
said

Lets not forget that the Paul Martin and Jean Group Absconded with the 40 Billion dollar EI Surplus into general revenuers to balance their budget short falls . It's the old shell game with the Liberals .

JPT
said

This is the same joker a couple years ago who said the US recession will not affect Canada. Again I just laugh at this guy. I'll be moving out of Ontario.

Tory Failure - indeed true!
said

People doesn't get it... Flattery supposed to create a balanced budget since first day Tory government was elected in 2006.....

That never happened....

Again and again and again... They constantly attacking Liberal so they snapped back at them to create a balanced budget and a huge change.

They never said to create largest deficits!

Government need to create a balanced budget to help Canadian.

This tory government failed to do that.

That is whole point.

Don't blame deficit on Liberal because Harper won't gave up his power so he is solely responsible for deficit... He could've just go to election and get a Tory majority or not!

Either way - SITTING GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE AND WHO IS CURRENT SITTING GOVERNMENT? HARPER'S!

HIS PROBLEM - HE REFUSED TO DEAL WITH CURRENT PROBLEMS THAT CANADIANS ARE FACING...!

Peter in Ottawa
said

Facts...

1) When Ont provincial finances were under Flaherty's control, the Federal Liberals dramatically cut transfer payments to the provinces and that is the ONLY reason deficits occurred at that time.

2) Canada is far far better off than any other country in the world, despite these deficits.

3) Had Harper not been in control in the year before this crisis started, we would be massively worse off now. He took the actions all other countries took, but he did this a full year before other countries did.

Opinions

1) If (God help us) Canadians elect Liberals, we'll see a permanently crippling deficit combined with gigantic tax increases that will rapidly drive investment out of this country.

2) There is absolutely no reason or rational argument to support Ignatieff as a PM of this country...he is 100% devoid of any policy on any topic of concern to Canadians, while leading a party whose dominant platform in the last 3 elections has been 'the other guy's character'. This devious maniac dares to criticise 'attack ads' when he leads a party that's done nothing else in 10 years?

3) Ignatieff will tax and spend just like he promised in the Conservative ads.

Wake up Canada and see this sneering figurehead for the disaster he and his ethically devoid party will be if elected.

Waterloo Region Rick
said

Flahery be fired...have to be kidding......Liberals forced them into a larger defecit than was needed by threatening to bring the Conservatives down......How quickly ignorant Canadians forget.

JB in Calgary
said

Everybody is missing one thing, the reason the Liberals are upset is because the would not have a deficit even if they spent $85 billion on a surplus.

HOW CAN THIS BE you ask?

TAXES TAXES TAXES

Think about that before the next election.

Narin, Montreal.
said

Since he was named my guts was telling that this guy isn't the right guy for the position. It would be more accurate, but laughable, if he would project the deficit for next year will be in somewhere between $1B and $1T.

Commoner
said

If the Liberals want to fire the Conservatives, then please just topple the government and call an election already. So tired of the scare tactics, especially when Canadians are losing their jobs!

Egads
said

This is too funny. The liberal demand more stimulus and extension to EI benefits but go nuts because of a deficit. Where was the money supposed to come from? Thin air? Of course we have a deficit! The liberals and ndp are hypocrites.

Hunter Mars
said

Never forget it was Harper who ran screaming,into the night, from Parliament when threatened .
Their asinine budget update was a farce .
Harper the economist (?)

BMM
said

To Ryan in NS:

Since “the majority of what I see on here are people that are completely reactionary, partisan to a fault, and devoid of any memory. Not to mention reasoning.”

It is a good thing that we have someone like you to give us an unbiased view of things.

WestofTheRockies
said

Hey Adam, Why don't you read your own comments?

"I am cheap now because I fear for what is happening in the world."

Key word Pal - WORLD - There was no WORLD WIDE RECESSION while your pals the Liberals were in power, therefore no loss of jobs and no deficit.

Government today does not control the price of gas and you can thank your Liberal Pal Trudeau for that - courtesy of his NEP. This legislation pegs the price of Canadian Oil to the World price. Oil market price goes up it goes up at our pumps.

Flaherty did not say last year that Canada would not see a turndown. He said it wouldn’t be as severe as the rest of the world, and guess what it isn’t, Canada is performing the best out of the G-10 nations.

You think that squinty eyed, holier than thou, finger pointing academic Iggy who has contributed squat to this country in his lifetime, knows any better you need to give your head a shake.

Don’t forget the Liberals voted for this budget, a budget they had a hand in making and we didn’t hear a single Liberal say….. wait a minute the projected deficit is not nearly high enough.

What is it about Canadians like you, who would rather be led by a bunch that thinks you are as dumb as a post and only they understand because they are Liberals, rather than those who give you the facts & let you decide for your self?

T-Roy
said

Absolutely ridiculous. The countries finances are in ruin and all conservatives supporters can do is attack the party(s) that had nothing to do with it. What do you call people that are so blindly ideological that they'd let there country go down the tubes just for purely ideological reasons/blindness? Most people know wrong when they see it. Why don't conservatives? Whats wrong with these "people"?

Phil (Halifax)
said

I sure the three stooges threatened to throw the country into another election if the Tories didn't pass a stimulus package.
Now they complain of a deficit.
Has anyone noticed the TSX is up some 2500 points since the collapse?
Someone thinks we are on the right path.
Go back to the US or wherever it is you come from Iggy!

m hanna
said

for all this idle babble there will be no election anytime soon.the lpc will continue on with their 70(+)seat caucus with nothing new to add to the political landscape(as usual).the conservatives will win the next election when it does happen.the recent polling data that liberal supporters seem to be giddy about only means that they will do better in quebec...and that will be at the expense of the bloc and that's only if their polling numbers hold up.if the anti-liberal comments for this news cast are any indication how people will vote then i wouldn't be feeling in too good of shape if i were a liberal supporter...

Mary Ellen Toronto, Ont
said

I don't imagine the economy has anything to do with the deficit. Really Mr. Ignateiff you have offered no substance of any kind and I doubt that you will. Get real. we are not all idiots which is what you think , we certainly can read between the lines . You are self appointed where is the real liberal party please stand up.

VW
said

Why should he be fired when he is only trying to clean up the mess that the Liberals left. The Ontario NDP is resposible for the mess with the CAW Union and their pension plan, but everyone else is going to pay for it. Not too many have pensions even resembling GM's and now we are expected to bail them out...wake up people, the govenment in charge is not responsible for what their predecessors did.

Gary
said

What's becoming frighteningly plausible is that this government has been so focused on cheap self-political gain that they haven't been actually attending to actually governing. This is really scary. It's unheard of for a country's finance minister to be so astronomically off on a deficit prediction. This is getting really dangerous, we need a professional in the roll of Finanace Minister. Flaherty needs to be replaced. Immediately.

Mike
said

If the Conservatives hadn't been voted into a minority govt., then we definitely would not have had the fiasco we're being thrown into now because there wouldn't have been any of the vote-buying (useless GST reduction of 2%) that just ended up costing the govt. coffers about 7 Billion per year or about 14-16 Billion since 2006. Think that could have helped Flaherty keep on track?

William
said

EI reform?!?! I thought that the Supremem Court of Canada ruled that when the Liberals were in power that it was illegal when Chretien and Martin pillaged the EI surplus and threw it into General Revenue and said "look we have a surplus".

jay
said

Jay-TO
Yes your still a canadian if you life out side of canada.I would like to see this changed for those who abuse the system.Should you be allowed to run for pm after beeing away for so long is up for debate.We were not doing fine things started to go down hill years ago.

fed up with Iggy
said

Why do you take out of context Flaherty's past? Flaherty did NOT cause the deficit which BOB RAE (NDP-LIBERAL) created with DEFICIT FINANCING ($9 BILLION in debt) during the last recession. Flaherty inherited the mess of the BOB RAE and at least the deficit was less in the end. Dalton has had 6 YEARS and done nothing but add tax to Ontario! Sorry, 'premiums'

Dale - Edmonton
said

Good thing we have video. Perfect commercial, Iggy raising a stink to make the government spend a bundle then Iggy raising a stink cause they did. Love it. Go back to Harvard, they're still hiring.

John Baltic
said

This story mad me laugh so much I almost peed myself. Ignatieff must think all Canadians are idiots. Under the Liberals, the deficite would probably be around $80-90 billion and under the NDP it would run well over $125 billion. Opposition like this gives democracy a bad name. If it weren't for the media and the GTA, Stephen Harper would have the majority government he so justly is owed and deserves.

jacobo
said

you stupid unexperienced opposition MPs what's the matter? you guys are not supporting the prime minister and not helping it all, and want a miracle result from the goverment, please respect PM stephen harper he is elected,,

Rosie
said

To GJS in Markham. So the Liberals will have to clean up the mess left by the conservatives,eh?They balanced budgets by downloading costs of social programs to he provinces and by using close to 50billion dollars from the EI fund as general revenue.All this while leeching off a booming American economy.If the Liberals get back in,they will have no way to fix things other than layoff tens of thousnads of government employees and still raise taxes.Hey,maybe I'll vote liberal this time!

Gambitdude
said

What I find amazing is this. The Liberals were going to vote this government out of office is they didn't sign of to this massive spending bill. They signed on and the liberals complain about the deficit. What is the Liberal postition. I don't understand it.

SRG
said

Either they intentionally understated the size of the deficit or they were incompetent in calculating it. Either way, someone needs to be held accountable, and it'll be Flaherty.

liz ottawa
said

excuse me but it was the libs and the ndp who insisted on all of this stimulus spending. where did they think the money was coming for that? from a secret piggy bank like the one the Libs had during the sponsorship business? lets face that ugly truth. maybe the cons arent as good at stashing away money to cover things like this. in any case those guys demanded these measures so should not be hammering the cons for having put them in place. that just is not fair. truly.

Flaherty, get out of the way, you incompetent dolt
said

Paul Martin left surplus by skilled management of --no, not taxes -- resources exploitation royalties.

Right wing nuts, you should get some education.
said

Your ignorance is embarrassing Canada.

Robert Byrne
said

I think it quite disgusting that Iggy's gang and other opportunists should be stridently screaming for political gain when an atmosphere of calm and confidence is essential at times like these if we are to get through this difficult period.

Tony
said

Once again the Liberals show their true colors: power at all costs. They have nothing to do with what's best for Canada.

All talk, and no plans. The same old Libs.

Robinoilberta
said

Apparently the Liberal leader is not happy with his own parties advice to Her Majesty's MINORITY gov't to spend money.

As a Canadian, I deeply resent politicians and political parties that in difficult, volitile times decide to "play" games with the people. Someone needs to tell the Liberal party they can't have it both ways. Either you spend or you don't, you can't do both.

Based on past Liberal performance and the results of said performance I must seriously question if there really is any substance to the rhetoric or is this as one observer here already stated simply "granstanding", trying to look good.

I don't think ANY party in power right now considering the state of the world economy would be looking very good. I would even suggest the Liberals are just as happy not to be the ruling party at this time knowing full well they would look bad as well.

Political games, that's all this is...the Liberals screaming in the wilderness, refusing to co-operate and happily blaming everyone else (especially Conservatives) for Canada's woes. Same old, same old, yawn.

Sorry, what was that John L ?? It's OK John Layton, go back to sleep. Iggy will wake you if he needs your vote to get into power just so he can have his turn at proving to us all he really is no better than what we have now, but, keep the snoring down, it's interrupting CBC's coverage of the circus.

Tim in Airdrie
said

It seems that every time something goes wrong ( which is very often ) the Conservative bloggers blame it all on the Liberals - shame on them.

It is the Conservatives that are in power & the buck stops there - it's time for an election to get rid of Harper & his empty minded cabinet.

Peter 1951
said

I will make "IGGY" a deal. Instead of talking about what the conservative are not doing, for the first time tell me and the rest of Canada, what he and the Liberal's would do to get Canada though this world economic problems, and could he do it without a deficit. If "IGGY" shows us and tells how, I will promise to vote for the Liberals in the next election. But if he doesn’t want to tell us that then "JUST SUT UP" go back to his home in the states, and let the Conservatives run this country.

Steve from Kenora,ON
said

It's little wonder the conservative budget is projecting a $30-billion dollar deficit especially when tax payer dollars are wasted away on paying for things like Brian Mulroney's legal costs etc. Be reminded Jim Flaherty and Tony Clement were both in Mike Harris's Ontario Tory caucus and have a wealth of experience wasting tax payer dollars while driving economies into the ground!!!

Stef
said

Aren't the libs responsible for completly draining the EI funds back when they were in power now when so many hard working canadians need it there is nothing left?????? What a crock, I am not a pro con supporter but come on Iggy... tread lightly!

Paul Ivanore
said

What happened to the Surplus in the IE account of Billions?

Jayme
said

T-Roy
The liberals have a lot to do with this mess.This mess was not started by harper and company.In fact it was started by your heros the liberals.

Greg in the Hammer
said

Hey Max, CTV is one of the most conservative leaning media outlets there is. It amazes me that you CONS even bash them as "liberal" when they only report facts. Usually they put a conservative spin on things, but this time there's no way around it. Suck it up, buttercup!

Rich
said

The blame is solely on Flaherty for his deficit running up 47% larger than budgeted just a few months ago.

In the private sector, something like this would not be tolerated. You'd get a swift kick in the ass and told to leave immediately. If only he was managing the money of a corporation like Bell (which we can do without) and not the whole country.

It must be nice being a minister that is given unlimited amounts of second chances.

Ki-Som Victoria BC
said

As much as I want to see the Harper gang gone, this story isn't the one that is going to do it. If we want this country's economy going, we have to spend money to do it. Sadly, Mr. Harper's government has done all the wrong things to do it, as well as cutting the GST back.

Robinoilberta
said

Lorne: I wish to address your contention that the Conservatives broke their own election DATE law.

When Canada or any other democratic nation has a minority government, it is the opposition that decides when an election is called, not the party in power.

In essence, Harper did not break the law as the election was forced by a parliamentary system put in place long before any reader of this thread existed.

The fixed election date was and still is an ideal within the platform of the Conservative party, however, it never was law.

Based on the political parameters within our constitution, this ideal will not work simply because the possibility of a minority government would of necessity need to be eliminated.

Nice idea, but alas, unworkable in our current system of government.

Jayme
said

Tim in Airdrie

Just like the liberal bloggers think there party is the white night.The liberals are anything but the white night its very scary to think what could happen with them in power.

Don
said

I'm so sick of the Liberal Party. First they holler for the Government to spend more money, and then turn around whine about the deficit. How would they solve it--misappropriate more money from the Forces and RCMP pension fund as they did once before?

Paul Chilliwack
said

Wow, I guess if the Liberals paid back all the money they stole from Canadians we would be less in debt.

Gagliano and friends could help our deficit, by repaying the monies they stole

CZ
said

Mr. Ignatieff and the Liberals have a very short memory. Just a short time ago they threatened (along with the Bloc & NDP) to topple the government if they didn't give out more stimulus $$$, now they are saying the Conservatives are spending too much stimulus. Mr. Ignatieff better quick talking out of both sides of his mouth. You can't have it both ways.

Prof. Pye Chartt
said

@ Ryan in NS

"...the majority of what I see on here are people that are completely reactionary, partisan to a fault, and devoid of any memory. Not to mention reasoning."

_______________

I see a lot of that too, Ryan...which, in fitting irony, brings me to your comment.

The indisputable FACT is that PM Harper and Finance Minister Flaherty (who aren't among my political heroes) based their public communications with respect to the global economic downturn, last October-December, on determinants widely used to identify being in a recession.

At that point, based on such indicators, Canada was NOT in a recession. (The word "technical" was lovingly applied thereafter.) Rather than telegraph a self-fulfilling prophecy by telling Canadians (and foreign investors) that Canada was bound for the economic toilet, PM Harper and FM Flaherty chose, rightly and sanely, to express a FACT and not a gloomy PREDICTION that would have yielded worse consequences.

If you don't understand and/or appreciate the important difference here, kindly stay away from all executive suites and corporate boardrooms, as this knowledge is required in the upper ranks of business.

In summary, contrary to your assertion, nobody wittingly lied.

--------------

Lastly, regarding the Crazy Coalition, comprised of the infamous "Three Stooges," the notion that this engineered maneuver was about saving the Canadian economy is beyond ridiculous. Aside from the FACT that no member of this nutty trio had tabled a formal alternative economic plan, PM Harper and FM Flaherty made it clear that they were formulating a BUDGET that would, rightly and sanely, take into consideration Canada's globally-comparative economic health (factually, we were/are healthier) and the forthcoming budgetary workings of newly-elected U.S. President Obama, as America is, of course, Canada's chief trading partner.

In summary, your assertion that somehow the parliamentary Opposition should be thanked for Canada's economic survival is completely off the mark.

Oh, well.

Will
said

I agree. Flaherty needs to go. While you're at it, move Harper back to opposition.

CG
said

How much of that budget overrun did the Liberals cause by telling the PC to do it their (Liberals) way or we do the election thing?

Laura
said

Contrary to popular belief, the definition of politics/politicians does not include the phrase "money makers".

With that being said, it is ridiculous to expect the Canadian people to believe the Conservative's childish rhetoric regarding the deficit. They proudly (albiet naively)stated that Canada was going to weather the storm. In January, the cowered slightly and said there would be a temporary deficit of $34b. Yesterday, they collapsed like a cheap tent, hollering "the Liberals made us do it".

Perhaps if Canadians didn't have to pay for pacifiers and diapers for our politicians, the debt would be far less. It could be also be reduced should the powers that be follow the lead of many of their constituents and take pay/benefits cuts.

As for the imbeciles that insist on asinine comments of the Liberals "trillion dollar deficit", PLEASE, you are embarrassing yourselves. Let the ADULTS discuss this issue.

Aaron in Toronto
said

To GJS - Markham
Please tell me how the Federal Liberal clean up the deficit? If your memory is not good enough then let me remind you. They create multi-year budget surplus by downloading federal responsibilities to the provinical and local gov't. Please name one of their policy that actually done anything to help the Canadian? Look at your local property tax bill and your paystub and you will see the moment the federal Liberal cut your tax is the same moment that your provinical and local gov't increase your tax to a point you end up paying more tax. If you still feel that they are doing a better job then good luck to you. The Liberal can't do any wrong ideas is so deep in your mind that block your vision.

Mary in Calgary
said

The man who said the Canadian economy was "Sound".

A man who said he would not go into deficit.

A man who claimed 34 billion and now suddenly increased it to 50??

Shame on him!! Does he not know how to budget?? ...How to plan and anticipate? Time for him to go!

Reece
said

"Wow, I guess if the Liberals paid back all the money they stole from Canadians we would be less in debt."

Nah, the conservatives would probably have met some convicted felon in some danky hotel room and stashing it at his house and/or freezer.

The conservatives don't stand on any moral high ground and now they are dragging us financially.

dmac
said

The opposition member’s silly, childish, nonsense rhetoric on the issue of budget deficit only goes to show how out of touch they are with the real world. I am amazed that there is only a fifty billion budget short-fall and I congratulate the three levels of government in all jurisdictions throughout Canada for this amazing achievement. I agree that four to five years of wise management will put this period of budget stress behind us, balance this period of deficit spending and make the Canadian economy even stronger. In taking the lead role, even if somewhat reluctantly as he is very much adverse to deficit spending, Mr. Flaherty has proven his immense value to the country.

RickJ
said

Mr. Ignatieff is a true politician. He can speak out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and still say nothing. What an opportunist.

Does this mean that if the grits were in power, they have a plan to spend lots of money on UI, spend on infrastructure to stimulate the economy and have none of it show up on the books?

Oh, I forgot. Mr. Chetien isn't running the government anymore so I'm not sure where the second set of books are.

If Mr. Ignatieff has a better idea, he should share it for the good of the Canada. Otherwise, if he truly is "just visiting", he should go home to whatever country is the flavour of the day.

Jay, Ottawa
said

I'm also fed up. Maybe it is time for an election and put these Conservatives out to pasture for a while. They're not helping. Perhaps someone else can do a better job. That's all we're asking right? Someone who can do a slightly better job?

Loyal PC Supporter
said

Mr. Ignatieff, the person I implicitly trust in money management is Stephen Harper and Mr. Flaherty. This is not just a Canadian problem, it is a world problem, and if anyone can bring us through the crisis, our present government will.

Tim from Calgary
said

It was both the Liberals and the NDP who forced the government into a massive stimulus program and now the Liberals are crying about it. Both Layton and Dion with their idiotic coalition idea held the gun to the government's head so this whining coming the Liberals and their supporters is laughable. That halo above each Liberal's head doesn't fool me.

Head_Shaking
said

Remember when the concervatives crippled the country back in the 80's???

The Libs got in power and balanced everything, and our economy took off.....Now the conservatives are in power, and our economy tanks....VOTE LIBERAL and get this country back on track!

Jay, Ottawa
said

Prof. Pye Chartt said, "@ Ryan in NS

In summary, contrary to your assertion, nobody wittingly lied."

BS. We all knew they were willingly lying to Canadians. Maybe you weren't up to speed yet, but some of us were. We knew that we'd be in the mess we're in now. When Harper opened his mouth and willingly lied to protect his own backside it was disgusting. We deserve better.

Evan in Sudbury
said

I think it is laughable at the claim that there is a Liberal bias in the media, when 90% of the comments are from Conservative sympathizers.

The common thread to most comments are along the lines that "the Liberals forced the Conservatives to do this". Really? The Conservatives are running the government right now, and 6 months ago. At end of November, they were projecting a surplus, and did not believe in the need of stimulus. With the threat of losing power, they relented and made a budget that was palatable enough that the Liberals accepted it (I believed back then that the deficit was far to great).

Now a few months later, that deficit has ballooned by over $10 billion. This is incompetence on the governments part to a high degree. The Conservatives complained at the incompetence of the Liberal finance minster when they were posting $10 billion surpluses above their budget predictions, and this is far worse. I can only imagine that the deficit will balloon by the fall. I would not be surprised at all if by the fall the deficit goes up to $70 billion.

You naysayers are right, we are in a recession. And in a recession, they should have been far more conservative in their revenue estimates. Conservative ideology has failed Canada, and I can only hope this debacle will encourage the Conservative party members to change their leadership.

Wes in Saskatoon
said

It is not the Conservatives fault for this high deficit. It's the the government to spend more to bail out failing companies in the auto industry. Why should my tax dollars go to prop up poorly managed companies and greedy unions?

Mike from Toronto
said

They should of never cut the GST. Widely agreed by economist that it had very little economic benefit but yet costs us $20-30B a year.

david longarini
said

In November 2008 Harper assured us the economy was fundamentally sound and Flaherty said we had a "technical" recession but there would be a $300million surplus. And a budget would not be necessary until March 2009. Now things are so bad that we owe $50 billion. The conservatives are not to blame for the recession but they must be accountable for having failed to be in touch with reality last fall. This is an unforgiveable failure. Some economist the PM is. He should go back to school.

Joe
said

Flaherty caused a lot of damage in Ontario under Harris as Finance Minister destroying Education and Health Care with massive budget cuts. Now he has done the same thing to all of Canada on a Federal level. It is about time someone stood up and said no more!

Bill
said

Just like the current opposition parties to critize Harper and Flaherty. It was only a few ago when the opposition parties were urging the Conservatives to spend, spend, spend. The opposition parties chose to forget that this is not a made in Canada problem, but a world-wide issue. This week it's the projected deficit, next week it'll be something else. The first thing that the Liberals would do is increase the GST rate. I shudder what the other opposition parties would do if they had a chance. What a bunch!!

terri
said

Ian,
Of course Harper said no. We wanted him to say no. Most people(according to the polls) did not want a coalition government. There were rallies and there were far more Harper supporters than there were coalition supporters. So actually the PM was doing what the voters wanted him to do.Now that is a good PM. Way to go Harper. We still love you. Sorry but the nutty professor reminds me of one of the sesame street characters. The one with the really big eyebrows. Could someone tell me his name.

jho
said

Let's not point fingers at who did what. Can someone tell us where the taxpayers money is going to? Is it for EI, is it for the corporations? We know we had a federal budget report but where are those numbers as to where it is going? I think the Canadian people should get an honest detailed report as to where the funding is going to so WE the Canadian People can decide. I think the Finance Minister is doing their best to stimulate the economy but they should at least monitor where the money is going to as well as the Liberals and the NDP. We should not give too much to the unemployed and those that are on welfare, they should look for a job or study, we sould not give TOO much EI to the unemployed over a long period of time because it affects the taxpayers that are working hard for their money. Lastly they should not give too much to the Large conglomerates because they too can spend it on themeselves (ie the CEO's like the ones in the U.S.) Bottom line is there should be a better way to monitor and fund our taxpayers dollars. It should be put into the system for education,healthcare, local and provincial and federal construction/government/municipal jobs and to small businesses and corporations willing to creat more jobs with strong balance sheets and a well defined structural plan as to how the business is to be runned. Those people should get the funding and it is in the best interest of the Canadian people.
Nuf Said !!!!

lyn hicks,ottawa
said

The recession is global and not a result of Mr. Flaherty's stint as Finance Minister! Cnada's estimated deficit of $50 B is a smaller percentage of our GNP than those of Japan and Great Britain in their respective countries. Cnada is still in a stronger position than most of the worldl moneywise and if the Liberals were in power it wouldn't be much different. I have to agree with the comments about the Liberals urging more and more stimulus spending including changes to EI rules. Then they would just turn around and blame the Conservatives for that too! When will they realize that most Canadians know this is a GLOBAL problem? A change in Finance Minister or the entire government will not change the financial reality.

Dixie groaning from Alberta
said

Please will the electorate save this country from the Libs. If those guys ever took power again, 50 Billion would be a drop in the bucket. Spend or we will defeat you......oh now you spent too much so we will defeat you. They just power at any cost.

Charles BC
said

I would say fire him but no, the longer he stays on the better for the liberals.

The longer steve keeps jim on, the higher the liberals will climb in the polls.

I see a liberal government coming this fall.

Alberta Redneck
said

The way I figure it $50 billion increases our net national debt by about 10%. It looks like the Americans are going to increase their current 11.3 trillon dollar debt by something like 25% this year. It is no wonder there is such a flight to the Canadian Dollar from the US dollar. If I were the Chinese official who have lent the US almost 700 billion dollars to date, I would be some kind of nervous. The Chinese tend to bury their mistakes and I believe Obama is embarked on a deliberate policy of devaluing the US dollar by running the money presses 24/7 and consciously trying to drive down the value of US currency and, thereby, make US goods and services much more cost effective in the world. I can only hope that the Canadian Government has a good deal of its debt in US funds. Then we benefit like the Americans benefit. We must make sure, however, that our currency (75 cents US not long ago) doesn't get to far above its current 90 cents. If the Canuck buck was worth $1.10 US which was the case about 18 months ago, albeit briefly, Canadian business is in really tough shape.

If this years deficit stays below 60 billion I am prepared to call Mr. Flaherty SIR!!

The Conservatives understand that when times are good you cut taxes as much as you dare but also pay back your debts as quickly as you can, but when times get tough (like now) you open the taps as far as you need to open them to get the pump primed. In January it looked like 34 billion. Now it LOOKS like 50 billion and may take more.

Jolly Wally (Toronto)
said

"O'Canada our home and bankrupt native land."

Mr.Flaherty and the rest of those former Ontario Conservatives under Ernie Eves and Mike Harris drained the Provincial treasury and were voted out. Just how does this incompetent fool manage to get another portfolio as the Finance Minister of Canada on the federal level and pull the same stunt based on his past track record provincially? If he's clueless...then just come out and say I haven't got a handle on this and step a side. It's too late now,the damage is done folks! The Federal Conservatives (Reformers)are in a Minority. In a Minority situation,a Government should not be allowed to free-wheel with taxpayer's money. So much for Mr. Harper's Accountability Act. The Conservatives (Reformers)are governing/ruining Canada under false pretenses. Like someone once upon at time remarked...the best Tory is a suppository. In the end...we are all getting flushed down the toilet... now it's to the tune of a 50 billion dollar bowel movement...may I ask,is the recession now by Mr. Flaherty's vision going to last another 10 years?

Can't have both WIN WIN
said

One hand you want the Government to pay out all the people for Unemployment

The other hand you complain the negative amount is too high!

Make up your mind which direction do you want the country to run?

Don't forget people need to eat in order to survive.

If they can't get the Government to help them out, they might have to do it their way - steal or rub!

Again, make up your mind and stick with it!

Prof. Pye Chartt
said

@ Jay, Ottawa:

What was the actual "lie," Jay? Be specific. (Partisan whining and facts are two different things.)

I can appreciate that you're cheesed about the deficit (I certainly am). However, I'm hoping that you're not another hollow and shallow Liberal who's attempting to imply that, somehow, under Mr. Ignatieff, Canada wouldn't have an even larger deficit.

Nobody actually believes that...except for, perhaps, Mr. Ignatieff himself.

Dan in Calgary
said

If Harper was smart, he'd fire Flaherty and lure Paul Martin out of retirement to fix the books.

Jim in Edmonton
said

Wake up people - he is spending what the liberals, NDP and Bloc asked for ... now he should be fired?That's rich. I also get a charge out of liberals saying they cured the deficit in the 90's - ha! They kept the GST which they promised to abolish and then downloaded their debt onto provinces and cities plus they ran the military into the ground. Anybody can cut almost any deficit if they do that. The liberals have a record of mismanagement and corruption, they have no room to throw rocks at the conservatives. By the way, I hope there is an election,Harper will eat these guys alive again. No he won't get a majority because Quebec has taken all he has and now wants to do the same to Iggy but he will still win. Go ahead and defeat the gov't.

dlin
said

I totally agree that Jim Flaherty should be fired. I recently watched a panel of economists on BNN. (Business News Network) They stated that he was the worst finance minister we have ever had.

It was not to long ago he said that our economy and finances were in great shape.? Please replace him PM with someone who knows what they are doing. He is SO inept.

Art
said

The size of the deficit was to be expected. What we should be mad about is the fact that the conservatives were hiding the facts from us. If the conservative econimists didn't have some ideal of how bad things could get, then their degrees are not worth the paper they are written on. Oh - I forgot that it was recently reported that the current government is more poorly educated than any in the recent past.

Terri
said

This is the way I see it.
We are 60 billion dollars in debt. The Liberals are very concerned about this.Soooooo I was wondering if they would give back the 45 billion(or more) from ei, the 2 billion(or more) from the gun registary and the money(I forget how much) from the sponsership scandal. I think we would have a surplus then. I mean they are concerned about the country right?

Tired of the Tories
said

I can't believe all the right wingers who write in on these stories. It is a myth that Conservatives are good managers of the economy. In fact they usually act irresponsibly and in a short-sighted fashion. The current crew of Harperites seem to be proven that truism. We need the return to a balanced approach to the management of this country that we prospered with between 1993 and 2006. Tory times are tough times indeed.

Beverley Sandoz
said

This is hilarious. This is bascially a 'Liberal' budget and now they are complaining about it. The Conserative's had no choice but to follow through with this budget.

If the 'Liberal's were in power we would be in just as much debt if not more.

Joel Bain
said

If only the Liberal Party could be fired. *yawn*

td
said

The opposition really like to have it both ways. First they scream spend, spend. Then they even wanted more.
Today McCallum was moaning about how slow the government was spending.

$50 Billion is a lot but what is the problem? Is it the amount or that they aren't spending it fast enough. That deficit has not occurred if the money is just 'trickling out' as the opposition says.

I ask, what will make the opposition happy? More and faster spending with lower deficits? Talk about wanting to have it both ways.

Bob
said

Flaherty left Ontario with over a 7 billion dollar deficit when he claimed the Province's books were were "balanced". He destroyed Ontario now the rest of the country is next...we deserve what we get.
He simply can't be trusted

Michael Harkov
said

Absolutley unreal.

Liberals were screeching for more stimulus spending because according to them, the government wasn't spending enough, even though the Liberals ended supporting the budget.

Now they are screeching equally as loud about a $50 billion deficit resulting from said spending when they demanded MORE? Come on people, doesn't that kind of makes you wonder what a coalition deficit would have been like when they wanted MORE spending? You know, the coalition that Iggy signed on the dotted line to support but conveniently doesn't now that he is the Liberal leader?

And to think it took Iggy 6 months to figure out such a coalition was a bad idea. Thank goodness we had Harper who knew immediatley that it was a bad idea, and took steps to put a stop to it.

Mike Nait
said

They are all criminals. Every one of them. All parties. I don't even bother voting, because i can't approve of any criminal. I can't put my stamp on criminal behavior.

Chris - Belleville
said

The conservatives on this thread are correct that the Oppositions parties put forth a demand for stimulus spending. Because the cons said the economy is just fine and there won't be any deficits or recession in canada...but the opposition knew better. The opposition parties signed off on 34 Billion deficit in the budget....not 50 Billion...there is a HUGE difference in those two numbers. So don't tell me or anyone else that it was the Opposition parties that asked for the 50 billion deficit. They didn't sign off on that.

The PM and Finance Minister need to go...all those who say the liberals screwed us with the sponsership...sure they did. But it pails in comparison to the amount of interest that we are going to have to pay on the this blunder.

I AM CANADIAN
said

It's nice to see so much support for the Consevatives for a change. For the others to blame the Economy on the Conservatives, well you are out to lunch on that one. We are in a WORLD WIDE GLOBAL RECESSION!!! Did the Conservatives cause that too. For IGGY to call for Flaherty's resignation that is just plain stupid!! No one couldn't predict how deep the recession would be and still can't predict when it will end but as usual the LIBERALS will blame the Conservatives for it all. Until they come up with the MILLIONS that they stole in the ADSCAM and give it back to Canadians, then they have no credibility in balancing the budget either. Remember the $50 BILLION plus that they took out of the EI to balance the budget and you Liberal supporters say how good they are at getting rid of deficits and they are the only party that can balance the books, give your heads a shake. They lie and steal every chance they get. Hopefully when the next election comes, Canada will wake up and give the Conservatives the MAJORITY that they deserve. We wouldn't have this damned if you do and damned if you don't scenario. Then IGGY can go back to the States where he belongs. Give real Canadians a chance to govern this country!!

J. Fournier
said

I wish the Liberals would shut up and grow up. They're never happy. I have become more and more tired of their infantile behavior. I wish they could all be fired!

Karlin Klavin
said

Jim i Nedmonton, you really appear to be defending a viewpoint rather than looking at facts, and that sort of ideological way of dealing with the economy is part of the problem here, now.
The record in Canada and the USA is that "liberal" governments[eg. Dems]have created budget surpluses and the conservative ones have created deficits, 100% of the time since 1950.
Cutting military spending is a GOOD move, and increasing it just happens to equal the deficits of each nation.

Andrew Koornstra
said

The liberals are a bunch hypocrites who are the ones that continually badgered the government on the stimulus package. If there was any credibility left in this party it is totally gone! Yes, I don't like the deficit either but the liberals haven't come up with any other plan. All they can do is complain.

Richard in Ontario
said

I get fed up with people saying that Mike Harris and Jim Flaherty bankrupt Ontario. Just not so. Unless you happen to be a Liberal Supporter and believed what Pinochio McGuinty and Greg Sorbara said. They maintained there was a budget shortfall when in fact it was in the middle of a fiscal year. Mike Harris and company brought us out of the mess that Bob Rae, now a Liberal by the way put us in... Now after raising taxes all over the place, McGuinty's government is also going to run a deficit. If you plan to make comments slagging someone, at least do some homework and find out what the real truth is.

SK Doctor
said

It would've been $100 billion under the Liberals/NDP/BQ...

kenny g
said

u gotta love the liberals, always putting their foot in their mouths everytime to speak about something. do us a big favour, purchase the best duct tape and put over ur mouth. have they forgot we are going thru a recession and loads of ppl losing their jobs. so less ppl working equals to less tax money coming in, its basic math. does not take a genius to figure that out. u will see that the conservative will do good and help us get out of the recession first.

Frank Buchan (Vauxhall, Alberta by way of Ontario)
said

Yes, fire him; he obviously caused the deficit condition single-handedly. Shooting the messenger always works, and as long as he is fired...we should bounce right back.

You don't have to dislike the LPC to dislike this stupidity coming out of the mouthes of so many Liberals.

BA in The 'Peg
said

As I suspected some months ago, PM Harper and his government should have said NO to this crap stimulus package and cut spending to weather the world-wide economic crisis. When you and I fall on hard times, we turn inward, save and weather it.

And, the Liberals have no ground on which to stand with regards to the 50B deficit, and dumb spending. We would be in a worse position had they been in power.

No, the Conservatives should have stayed the course, and remained as Fiscal Conservatives, like they started out to be, and we wouldn't be in this mess.

And, the Liberals can just shut-up, thank-you very much.

Dan
said

How can anyone listen to Ignatieff and not see the disconnect between his demands for stimulus spending, easing EI elegibility, and reducing the deficit, presumably without raising taxes? Someone is either mathematically challenged here, or is just playing dirty politics. Money doesn't grow on trees; it comes out of our pockets, folks, and if we want the government to spend more we either have to pay for it now via higher taxes or borrow it from somewhere. Borrowing creates a deficit. So simple. Even a lemonade-stand kid can understand that.

Alberta Redneck.
said

In reading almost 200 comments, I thought some real information might be instructive so I had a look. As much as I mistrust StatsCan, they do have the numbers.

National debt in the last two years of the Liberals 523 billion each year. Since the Tories took over the national debt has declined from the 523 they inherited to 514, 508 and 490. At the same time, the Gross Domestic Produce (GDP) which was growing nicely under the Liberals, starting at 1.291 in 2004 and an increase of almost 6.4% to 1.373 trillion (lets give credit where credit id due. But the Tories haven't done badly either with GDP increses of 5.6%, 5.9% and even 4.3% in 2008 when the world economy was already tanking. Over the Tories time in power, the GDP has increased a very significant 16.2/3%. At the end of last year the Net National Debt sat at 30.6% of GDP. Assuming the deficit for this year IS 50 billion and assuming the GNP goes down a predicted 5% then the net national debt will be 35.4% of GNP. Consider this against the US or the UK both at well over 70%. Certainly manageable.

Bob's Your Uncle
said

Yes, lets fire Flaherty for doing something that only 5 short months ago, the Grits were willing to start a coalition government with the NDP and Bloc over... Mr. Ignatieff: You and your henchmen cried and whined for a stimulus package and now you want Flaherty's head. I guess flip flops aren't just a summer fashion, they're a Liberal fashion too. Where did you think they would get the billions of dollars from? Certainly not out of thin air? Perhaps the Liberals were going to give back the billions of dollars that they stole from us just 5 short years ago to fund the stimulus?

Gus
said

What do you expect from Flaherty...he destroyed Ontario's economy, and is on-track (like a good conservative) to destroy Canada's.

Eyes Wide Open
said

This is very very simple. Harper didn't want to spend that much on stimulous. So there became a "coalition". They demanded that the Conservatives spend like sailors to "stimulate" the economy. So, Harper works with the other parties and gives in to MANY of their demands. Now that the cost has come in the Liberals are saying that it is the Conservatives who did this.... HUH? Along with that, Iggy and the crew of "no policies" would spend even MORE. They want to give more EI, they said not longer than two weeks ago that they wanted even more stimulus. (oh there is one policy..higher taxes)
Now, I am the one shaking my head at some of the complete and obvious intentional memory loss of many comments here.
Do the people of Canada truly have that short of memories? Or is it that they are so driven by hate for Harper that they will stoop to ANY level to bash this government. Some even say that we are in recession becuase of the Conservatives..in a MINORITY. Please people...let's get our heads of the sand and see the facts. Not what your partisan brains wish it would be.

Walter in Ajax
said

What Canadians should demand is the resignation of Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton. Their hyposcrisy is a cold slap in the face of every Canadian taxpayer. Irresponsible leadership is so unneeded at this tough time in our history.

Ron
said

Why can't the Parties get along,get to work, get down to business,get with helping us, and quit acting like KINDERGARTEN babies.Now get to work or I'll quit my JOB!

Jay, Ottawa
said

Prof. Pye Chartt said, '@ Jay, Ottawa:

What was the actual "lie," Jay? Be specific. (Partisan whining and facts are two different things.) '

Specifically, the lie was that we would maintain small surpluses. They knew darn well that it was impossible to do given all the indicators. It was pure political nonsense during a campaign. They couldn't be honest and say that tough times are ahead because that would have been a disaster during a campaign so instead they knowingly lied. They relied on the fact that many people can be duped.

Gord. Robson, Nova Scotia
said

IGNATIEFF and his party wanted the budget early and kept pushing for it. At the time the budget was given NO ONE knew what we were really facing.

The N.D.P. and the LIBERALS criticized the CONSERVATIVES for NOT putting enough money into the stimulus package.
Now the LIBERALS are blaming
the CONSERVATIVES for a large deficit.

What are the LIBERALS thinking, oh they are not thinking ONCE AGAIN and they want to LEAD THE COUNTRY!

NV
said

Had we elected a majority Conservative goverment, our deficit would not be ballooning. the conservatives would have been able to stick to more fiscally responsible policies, and not have there hand forced by the opposition/coalition, nonsense we endured earlier. Ignatief, although a smart guy, is a thinker and not a doer. Go back to where your heart is, the US.

Jim
said

The issue here, is NOT the deficit (the opposition parties SUPPORTED the 34 billion stimulus package that the "cons" implimented. The country, as ALL COUNTRIES right now, needed this stimulus.

The issue is that the Finance Minister does NOT SEEM capable of understanding or controlling the finances he is in charge of. Plain and Simple!

The dificit now, we are told, is 50 billion, but still re-payable in 4 years!

Even the current government chior boy, Mr. Drummond, is now talking of the hated "structural deficit".

This is mismanagment of tax dollars. A difference of 16 billion, in a matter of months, is just simply unacceptable, BUT I do not think that just Mr. Flaherty should go. The entire department should be re evaluated.

Frank from Calgary
said

Fired!

From a surplus one year
to a record deficit the next
is good reason for sure.

This one year alone will set us back a good 5 in paying off the debt.

By 2011 or 2012 we'll be right back to where we were in the mid-1990's. So debt ridden our buck was worthless
and many felt we should be in the class of third world nations instead of part of the G7.

Like the US, we were in denial for a good year before the meltdown happened. Denial made it much worse than it needed to be.

This is my 5th recession in my life and I'm tired of this crap.

Fire the lot and let's move on.

Canada Goose Whistler
said

Come on people if I was working for someone & my numbers were that far out, I would be fired.
From December their out the 50 billion because they said we would not run a deficit.

The only good thing Harper can do for Canada is to step down, he has failed so many times.

the old lady
said

Gus I think you are a bit confused. The problem with Ontario is McGuinty. He will bankrupt this Province and most of the taxpayers. Wait until you receive your new Smart Meter electric Bills. You are going to have to make a loan from the bank to cover the cost.
Harper and his Ministers are doing just fine. Canada is doing much better than any other Country. People should read more than the Liberal slanted papers and TV broadcasts that are all Liberal orintated. Who gives a darn what Iggie has to say? I don't. Iggie never tells us how he would fix thing now does he. All bluster and no substance.

Marg in Calgary
said

The Harper government spending like drunken sailors.
What a disgrace.

Time for a liberal government to clean up this mess.

Are conservative voters all high school drop outs?

Mike - Toronto
said

The liberal first demand the government move up the budget before all the numbers and projections are known.

The Liberals threaten to topple the government unless they unleash massive spending.

The Conservatives cave and spend money on a massive stimulus plan.

The Liberals then blame the Conservatives for the budget deficit they wanted.

Maybe the CPC should run stop those moronic Iggy ads and point out the Liberal multi-billion dollar flip flop.

or perhaps our media outlets should stop being biased and report the facts!

Justin
said

Should've given the conservatives a majority. Then they wouldn't have had to give in to the oppositions spending spree and we wouldn't be talking about massive deficits.

Spend to Help Canada
said

Not much more to say than has in the house. Mulroney bled us dry, the liberals gave us hope and years at number one and no deficit. Now Harper with in a couple of years spent everything, now larger deficit than Mulroney,

When are voters going to get it?

We need to pay our way to have the lifestyle we want.

We like our freedom, and our rights, it takes money, and to get money takes taxes.
Stop your whinning and go out and spend spend spend. at least you get a product and the government gets tax money,

Marg in Calgary
said

A conservative view.

In the US & Canada history shows a conservative government runs a deficit & a liberal government runs a surplus.
The liberals are better at math I guess.
If Harper would have left the GST where the liberals had it we would not be in a deficit.
Yes there is a world recession but Canada would not be in one if we had a liberal government.
Are the conservative voters just not educated or what?
Look at history liberal surplus! Conservatives will turn us into a third world country.

Terry Maloney
said

An Empty Vessel makes the most noise. The liberals are that Empty Vessel.

50 billion reasons for change
said

attack ads attack ads attack ads ... all while the money promised is not getting out into the economy ... 50 billion reasons to vote for change

Mike
said

Well done Harper thanks for the 50 billion debt.

What do we have to show for it?

Where are the jobs?

The IMF's report showed the best stimulus you could give Canada is the changes in EI the liberals have proposed.
Then change it back after the economy picks up.

But Harper! No he wouldn't want to help out Canadians.
Putting money in the hands of Canadians is the best stimulus.

Harpers plan to build bridges to nowhere employees a hand full of people for a short time , then the job is over, but the worst part about infastructure spending is billions of it disappears into the hands of the wealthy.

Pete, Burlington
said

Absolutely typical of Iggy....I am for it until such time that I am against it!

It was him who demanded the tories spend all this cash. i don't know a single tory voter who wanted the government to start throwing money around like this.

We need a majority Harper gov't to shut up Iggy and Layton

Jonathan from Saskatoon.
said

Funny hoe the Liberals complain about the system they set up. Harper and the Conservatives have eased up the rules on EI eligibilty, extended that eligilibilty by 5 weeks, and that is not enough. Iggy also wants the Government to make everyone eligible for a year of benefits after a month and a half of work, which would add several billion to it so that he can bitch some more. You can't have it both ways. Their legacy is huge infrastructure deficits, high taxes, bloated bureaucracy, and an economic system that is so Ontario/Quebec centric, ensuring that when the manufacturing sector faces a downturn the west and the maritimes are left holding the bag. If Ignatief doesn't like it he can go back to his real home in the USA.

Andrea
said

To Adam Jab,

Your right, the Tories need to get the money out to municipalities.Or they will be faced by a Confidence vote. The Bloc and the NDP MP's have the wild cards.They have projects in their ridings that need the money as well.If they agree with the Liberals on a confidence vote over this matter, look out.

Before saying " Election", stop and think,what can we do to help this chaotic situation?

There needs to be some kind of resolution to this problem of the money not going out fast enough.

Look at the policies in committee.

What happened to Canadians unity?
Where is the compromising Mr. Harper?

edd
said

It's obvious, the Liberals are a party of nothing led by no one.

I can't believe how absolutely void this party is on "anything". They have no recognizable policy, except to trash anything the Conservatives do. They have no vision except to demand their perceived right to their privileges, which are hopelessly lost. They are financially (literally and figuratively) bankrupt. They have totally isolated them selves from grass roots Liberals with the Iggy Elite anointment, and he'll rub that in their faces for quite awhile. They have degraded themselves to be a regional party at best with absolutely no hope of ever winning a majority in Canada.

jake
said

I get sick of reading the above comments. Grow up people. Since when is a government at fault when the whole world's economy is struggling when no canadian political party can do anything about it. And yes, the liberals demanded more money for stimulating the economy-so when that's done, the Cons. still get blamed. It's time for all parties to quit harping at each other , acting like spoiled brats and act like responsible elected people and come up with ideas for all canadians. It's no wonder that when elections come, a meager 50 % or less even want to vote when we get parliamentarians act like idiots.

Dan in Toronto
said

Is anyone surprised that Flaherty would have trouble balancing the books after leaving Ontario with a 6B deficit DURING AN ECONOMIC BOOM??? At least Bob Rae overspent during a recession and it was to stimulate the economy. If Conservatives would actually listen to economists who said not to cut the GST, which is about 7B in lost revenue in the Federal Budget each year. Somebody Rescue Canada!!!

Fred - Brandon MB
said

All I can say is "Grow up Liberals"

Nancy: Iggy wants to be paid in American funds
said

Ignatieff just wants to be paid in American funds.

Nancy: Donald Drummond should tell all
said

TD Bank chief economist Don Drummond should mention Frank McKenna former Liberal Premier is big shot with the bank and that the conservatives were forced to introduce laws to stop bank gouging and they should publish the average wage of tellers and the excecutive pay.

Luke in Vancouver
said

Ah the words games are back again. Iggy and crew are back to their old tricks. It's good to see that general consensus in feedback comments understand that this is a world wide mess and not a Conservative mess. This was the first time that this recession was not a made in Canada recession. And buy the way, the "previous record recession" was is in 1992 dollars and has not been adjusted for inflation...not to mention its a much smaller % of GDP too....Let's keep it in perspective!

Wade Ens Toronto
said

The big news is here Ignatieff said two sentances without talking about a new tax.
He seems to have a lot of rude comments that are misdirected.

Don Jones
said

Most of the comments here make a point even if most are blaming one side or the other for the mess that Canada and the world face. The fact is that our politicians are gung ho to put on the best face for preparation of the next election. I don't think any of the parties realized the enormity of the deficits that governments were going to have to face. Many of the moves the Conservatives have made were ones that the Liberals suggested or would have done if they were in power. We are deeply tied into the US economy. The Free Trade agreement allowed Canada to sell our products to the US in great quantities so we gained a surplus in trade and kept thousands of Canadians in jobs. But most Canadians felt the US was borrowing and spending too much money and we have seen what happened when the world of making profits could not keep us with the realization that at some point bills had to be paid. So some CEO's and companies pulled strings or made under the table deals that were criminal in nature and the whole US economical structure fell apart.
The US used the only weapon it could ... work with huge deficits. Obama has been borrowing and re-borrowing and possibly even printing off new dollar bills to get the US back online again.
Now we should understand that running a deficit is a means in Canada, as in the US, to try to help the economy and keep people working as much as possible. The opposition didn't force the Tories to run a deficit; it was the best economical tool that any political party could use with the US upheaval. Who could predict how much deficit would be required?

Concerned Canadian
said

Professor Pye Chart:

Are you really saying that you're glad that Mr. Harper and Mr. Flaherty lied to you when they didn't plan for a recession? Shades of Jack Nicholson.

Looks like you can't handle the truth.

At least, your rationalization for why they didn't tell the true about the recession certainly indicates that.

Because it was the opposition who warned us about the global meltdown, wasn't it? And it was the opposition who confronted Mr. Harper when he refused to table a budget that dealt with that meltdown, wasn't it? Never mind "self fulfilling prophesies." In business circles and boardrooms, people make decisions based on reality, not fantasy.

And by the way, it's not the job of the opposition parties to "table a budget proposal."

That's not how the Canadian parliamentary system works, is it?

Because that was the whole point: Mr. Harper refused to make a budget proposal that acknowledged the coming meltdown, which was evident to anyone who was following the path of the U.S. economy.

At least, it was obvious to the Liberals and NDP.

So it looks like you prefer to be lied to by politicians, and rationalize about their behaviour afterwards to preserve your illusions about Mr. Harper's confidence.

Thanks for the insight into the right-wing mind.

Scott Micheals
said

I wouldn't trust David Suzuki with a fruit fly let alone Canada.

Anonymous conservative
said

He's doing his best to not be outed as a liberal economist; it's that simple. We were in surpluses for so long that it was long forgotten that the earlier conservatives and even Trudeaites up to Pearson did similar actions.

Ray in Sask
said

Why is it considered biased Liberal media when both parties get slammed on something negative? This is what the Tories get. I would agree, what happened with the last prediction? Would we be in this predicament if they didn't cut the GST? Would we be in this predicament if they didn't lower taxes? Would we be in this predicament if they actually spent money on jobs like day care? Would we be in this predicament if we had someone more responsible who didn't screw the Ontario province in charge? I do say fire all the Tories including Harper because they just shown they can't manage.

Burt, Red Deer
said

Though I loathe the Liberals, I have to agree with their criticism of Flaherty. The man hurt investors in Canada who depended on Income Trusts, specifically seniors on small pensions, and has mismanaged the books Federally. His economic foresightis challenged at best. If Harper doesn't get rid of him they will lose a lot of conservative, fiscally responsible, voters like myself.

Richard L. Provencher
said

Mr. Ignatieff confuses me. He keeps changing his mind on everything, through flip-flops and fling-dings. It makes me dizzy.

Farther west of the Rockies
said

Hey all of you Con lovers out there who keep on saying The Liberals are the reason for this deficit because they threatened little Stevie Harper....Grow up! The Liberals were asking for a spending stimulous with regard to the facts they were given that we were still in suplus territory.... well The Cons conned us and we were in deeper than they let on. The Liberals were just putting forth a stimulous plan with the numbers that were made available to them. Get your heads out of the sand.....Very soon the truth is gonna come out about how mismanaged our public finances have been, but I'm sure that won't stop all you Con lovers from continuing to throw your your undying support for Jimmy & Steve.... hmm bunch of sheep.

Nik in Ottawa
said

Yes, the Liberals and others demanded spending, but that didnt cause the deficit on its own. The real cause was the Conservatives reckless squandering of Federal income- for instance, the GST cuts? Useless to most Canadians, and deadly for the economy. Now our recent Liberal history of paying down deficits has been wiped out in a few short years by short-sighted, vote-buying Tories.
Election soon. PLEASE.

Mark, Sarnia
said

The same opposition that threatened to take down the government if they didn't pump more money into the economy? Go back to the USA Iggy!!!

Wow, the psychic prognosticators can predict
said

what Ignatieff would do, to the dollar.

Oh, yes, they know for sure.

They are . . . THE PSYCHIC PROGNOSTICATORS.

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I applaud the budget, even though Health Care and education may stay unscathed. Sadly this cannot last and I worry to later this year where cuts will become enviable. If anything, this provides the Wildrose Alliance plenty of ammo when an election is called.

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Alberta going for broke with record $4.7B budget deficit

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