The 2009 Canadian Budget Thread

[FLAMESRULE]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Personally, I think the Conservatives should be applauded for delivering a budget that is more representative of the slim minority government that exists. It's not "selling out". It's what is supposed to happen with the parliament that we elected.

And the Liberals as opposition, have every right to criticize things that they don't like about it. It's not "whining"... it's doing their jobs.

What would you rather have, a budget that panders to a minority government or a budget that makes economic sense and wont set this country back by $85BB in misspent spending sprees?? For me the choice is easy.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

What would you rather have, a budget that panders to a minority government or a budget that makes economic sense and wont set this country back by $85BB in misspent spending sprees?? For me the choice is easy.

What isn't "easy" is getting that budget to pass. How many times has it been said already that any budget that didn't include a stimulus would have been voted down? Which means either a large deficit or higher taxes and a smaller deficit or taxes so high they would have driven us straight into a Depression.

We were getting this budget, whether it was at the hands of the PCs or the Liberal/Socialist/Separatist coalition. There was no chance that were not going to have a deficit budget this year. You can thank Jack Layton for that.

[Hack&Lube]

Forget the politics, where's the part that helps us buy some crap as consumers? I heard on the radio that there are tax breaks for buying a computer or something?

[Fozzie_DeBear]

I believe that the Capital Cost Allowance for companies buying computers has been increased...

[Mccree]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Forget the politics, where's the part that helps us buy some crap as consumers? I heard on the radio that there are tax breaks for buying a computer or something?

If you are a busniess owner you can write off 100% of any computers purchased.

In the past you would get to write them off over time (CCA)

[flamesfever]

I have the feeling it will be Harper and Ignatieff running this country for some time. That may not be all bad. Both seem pretty intelligent, and hopefully may work well together, in spite of their ideological differences.

[North East Goon]

Old Jacky is calling for all Liberal supporters to join his party, he is some kind of mad - I love it.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

Old Jacky is calling for all Liberal supporters to join his party, he is some kind of mad - I love it.

Only GOOD thing to come out of this flustercluck.

What a mountebank he proved himself to be.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by Slava

-Over $1.4 billion for aboriginal schools, health, water, housing, community services and training.

Am I a bad person for being annoyed at that?

1.4 Billion?

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

What isn't "easy" is getting that budget to pass. How many times has it been said already that any budget that didn't include a stimulus would have been voted down? Which means either a large deficit or higher taxes and a smaller deficit or taxes so high they would have driven us straight into a Depression.

We were getting this budget, whether it was at the hands of the PCs or the Liberal/Socialist/Separatist coalition. There was no chance that were not going to have a deficit budget this year. You can thank Jack Layton for that.

The only thing I'd thank Layton for doing is getting genital herpes.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Comical. Trying to surrender without losing face.

You can look at it that way, or you can look at it as trying to appear critical even though they scored a major victory. As many conservative posters here have noted, this is a very liberal budget, and they used the threat of the coalition to basically get everything they wanted in it. The federal government took a pretty big step to the left today. At the same time, the Liberals successfully got themselves out of the coalition, and avoided an election that would likely be disasterous for them. Much better to be the loudest critic than to be the government during what's going to be a pretty rocky year. This is exactly where the Liberals want to be right now.

[peter12]

[Ford Prefect]

^^^^^ ... that's disgusting. Layton should have been arrested for public indecency over that. Argh. My eyes!!! They're bleeding.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by Gozer

Am I a bad person for being annoyed at that?

1.4 Billion?

Well, I'm just guessing, but I'd bet the reserves don't fall under the new money for municipalities... if money's being doled out to municipalities, why not to the reserves as well?

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by Gozer

Am I a bad person for being annoyed at that?

1.4 Billion?

Municipalities, agriculture/rural etc. are getting money. Why not the reserves who don't fall under either?

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by Slava

I figured I would post the budget highlights here, sorry if I missed this earlier in the thread:


-$85-billion deficit over five years, including $34 billion in 2009-2010 and $30 billion the next year.
-Cut personal taxes by $20 billion over six years, including increasing the basic personal amount that can be earned tax-free, and raising the upper limit of the two lowest personal income-tax brackets.
-Cut business taxes by $2 billion over six years.
-Improve access to financing for consumers and businesses with support of up to $200 billion, including $50 billion extra for the Insured Mortgage Purchase Program, and a $12-billion secured credit facility to improve access to financing to buy and lease new vehicles.
-$12 billion ($7 billion in new cash) for infrastructure spending on things like roads, sewers and universities, including $1 billion for "green" infrastructure, and $1 billion for clean-energy research.
-$7.8 billion for social housing and private home renovation, including a one-year Home Renovation Tax Credit of up to $1,350 per household.
-$8.3 billion for skills and training, including $1.5 billion in new cash to retrain workers.
-Extend Employment Insurance benefits by five weeks for two years.
-$2.7 billion in short-term loans to the auto industry.
-A two-year, $1-billion Community Adjustment Fund to help communities adjust to economic hardship.
-Over $1.4 billion for aboriginal schools, health, water, housing, community services and training.

I don't think that there is anything too offensive in the budget as a whole. I would expect that the Liberals support this and pass the budget.

Has anyone been able to find more info about the programs in bold?

EDIT: http://www.budget.gc.ca/2009/plan/topics-sujets-eng.asp

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by Gozer

Am I a bad person for being annoyed at that?

1.4 Billion?

Its quite disproportionate, I'm annoyed about that.

But as others mentioned, they don't fall under municipalities, so they had to get something. Probably should have been more like $800m to $1B at the highest, and thats assuming 9% of Canadians live on reserves, which is a high estimate.

[FLAMESRULE]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Its quite disproportionate, I'm annoyed about that.

But as others mentioned, they don't fall under municipalities, so they had to get something. Probably should have been more like $800m to $1B at the highest, and thats assuming 9% of Canadians live on reserves, which is a high estimate.

Given the fact it likely wont stimulate any economic growth its very disproportionate as far as this budget is concerned.

[Slava]

Man this board is just so political. If the Liberals bring down the budget most of the posters hate it because the Liberals did it. The Conservatives bring down a budget and people still blame the Liberals for the overspending?

Lets just take a look at recent history: The conservatives spent more money than any government in history last year, all on their own. The year before that they spent an enormous amount of money as well. Now this budget also has very little in common with conservative ideology. Surely you can't pin this all on the Liberals and Jack Layton? Some of the fingerpointing should be at Harper and Flaherty?

(Not saying all of the posters here as some have acknowledged this already, but there are a few who are still in this camp!)

[mrdeeds]

Originally Posted by Slava

Man this board is just so political. If the Liberals bring down the budget most of the posters hate it because the Liberals did it. The Conservatives bring down a budget and people still blame the Liberals for the overspending?

I believe the term you meant to use was partisan. For the most part many of us are myself included.