Election 2011: Full Steam Ahead

It is still unclear when the deciding vote will be in the House of Commons, but everyone agrees on its result. We are going to have a spring election, despite Flaherty unveiling an excellent budget which a substantial reduction of the deficit from "$56 billion" to $30 billion (last year's deficit was $56 billion, right? I'm sure Iggy hasn't been high balling that number). Former Liberal Finance Minister John Manley was on the politics shows today praising the budget. The opposition wanted less deficit reduction and more spending, so at the nearest opportunity they will defeat the government in a vote of no confidence.

For the record the Tories did try to put some spending measures in the budget that came from the NDP wish list, but Jack was not satisfied with the dollar amount. He wants an election because he wants a lot more money for his spending policies. He would likely get all the money he wants as Finance Minister in a Liberal-NDP coalition government.

The deficit will be falling from $56 billion to $30 billion, a reduction of almost half! Granted I don't know that our last deficit actually clocked in at $56 billion, I'm just going off the high-ball number the opposition likes to throw around. It makes the size of the deficit reduction appear larger if you use the same number the Liberals have been recently. Furthermore this budget lays the foundation to all but eliminate the deficit by the end of a Conservative majority term.

The rhetoric is ridiculous. Scott Brison says there is a $40 billion dollar "black hole" in the budget, which supposedly includes $30 billion for fighter jets. Meanwhile, that $30 billion is spread out over 30 years, but Scotty acts like the entire amount is supposed to be coming out of our bank account next year.