-
Caucus Splitting
By design, Tuesday’s budget was a non-event. The public’s eyes are on Sochi, and the pundits’ eyes are on next year’s budget. So, it should not be surprising that it was the post-budget fallout that grabbed the most headlines, when Finance Minister Jim Flaherty mused that the Tories central 2011 campaign promise of income splitting […]
-
You Be The Finance Minister
Alberta is facing a bit of a budget crisis, with a deficit which, on a per capita basis, could be as big as Ontario’s. This has forced Alison Redford into making some tough choices…or, in the more likely event, building up debt. To help with these decisions, Redford has launched a Your Choice website, letting […]
-
Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Ontario careens towards an election nobody wants… Ontario Liberals threaten election after NDP ‘breaks its word’ on budget Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty threatened to take Ontario to a general election Thursday if the opposition parties couldn’t agree on a deal to pass the budget. “This is about Ontario’s economic livelihood and our ability to continue […]
-
My 5 cents on the federal budget
For years the Liberals warned you of Stephen Harper’s hidden agenda. Just wait until he gets a majority, and you won’t recognize Canada. For years, Conservatives quietly whispered to their base that they couldn’t go as far as they wanted because of that damn minority government. The Liberals won’t let us, the Senate won’t let […]
-
Rest in Peace: Penny (1858-2012)
-
Ontario Budget 2012: McGuinty avoids war with Hudak and Horwath, by starting one with unions
During the minority government era in federal politics, we all grew accustomed to the annual spring budget dance – a popular budget full of election treats, and never ending speculation over whether or not it would trigger an election. Yet Dalton McGuinty’s first minority government budget felt different. Sure, Tim Hudak pushed out his chest […]
-
Budget Day
Back in January, the NDP laid out 5 demands in exchange for their support on the federal budget: In a new memo prepared by the NDP, the party costs its main requests. The NDP wants the budget to include $700-million to raise the Guaranteed Income Supplement for low-income seniors; a doubling of the Canada Pension […]
-
Opportunity Knocks
The only knock I’ve had against Dalton McGuinty in the past is that he’s been very risk-averse and has never really seemed to take full advantage of his time in power to bring about real change. He’s run the province well, but if Dalton were a font…well, I have no clue what font he’d be, […]
-
Budget 2009 Reaction: Do You Think It Is Easy To Make Priorities?
(updated at bottom) We’ll need to wait until Ignatieff speaks tomorrow to answer most of the questions I posed this morning, but the initial reaction seems to be one of reluctant acceptance. The economists on Don Newman’s show both gave it a “B-“, and all the provincial governments I’ve seen reaction from like it (more […]
-
Budget Day
Leave comments here, as the fun happens. Updates will follow Yeah, yeah, most of the juicy details have already been leaked. And, sure, the Liberals will probably let it pass. But, there are still a few things worth tuning in for: 1. Tax cuts? This appears to be the only issue that could cause the […]