The 2009 Canadian Budget Thread

[FLAMESRULE]

Originally Posted by Cube Inmate

Disgusted...disillusioned. The rumours (er..."official leaks") that have been circulating for a few days have not lessened the blow to this supporter of fiscally responsible policies.

There is now virtually nothing differentiating the Cons from the Libs. I could try to rationalize this in any number of ways if I *wanted* to continue supporting the Cons, but there's really no point.

Moronic public
+sensationalist, doomsday media
+game-playing politicians
+religion
+human nature
--------------------------------
No hope for the future

I agree...what a wasted oppurtunity and IMO a sell out by the Conservatives. This is a Liberal driven spendaholic budget. There is little "stimulus" in this budget. The tax cuts, while welcomed, amount to peanuts. No one is going to go buy a new house / car / big ticket item because they save a whopping $50/month. A stronger business tax cut would have been better.

The construction + retraining package is good, and I do like that they come with strings attached. There has to be some responsibility + accountability at all levels of government.

The rest of it is a waste of money right now. How does throwing another 1.5BB at the aboriginals stimulate the economy or 2.7BB to doomed auto sector seem like a good investment?? Not to mention that while the auto industry gets $$, there is nothing in it for Alberta to develop/build our own downstream refinery/upgrading industry.

[mykalberta]

While I dont like the deficit, I do like the ties to projects. There is no reason the Feds should have to fund 100% of anything that is technically a provincial responsibility as they get no credit for it.

The I like the 1/3 1/3 1/3 approach as it gives accountability and credit to all levels of government. A city, like Calgary if given say 2 bil dollars, would likely with the group of yahoos in civic off would build 3 or 4 bridges. But if the are forced to pony up the cash for these, then they are less likely to go crazy, and more likely to spend it properly.

Big thumbs up to the strings IMO - partly because no level of government can be trusted.

Also, its not like the Feds will be flushed with cash, why should they burden themselves while other levels of gov get off scott free. I would rather see the % split differently, say 20 city 40/40 feds/province but that is more nit picking.

Also +1 to this being a minority budget. They learned before Christmas they cannot govern like a majority, so they govern like a minorty. The Canadian electorate are to blame for not giving one party majority status.

[FLAMESRULE]

Of course the whining Liberals still dont like the budget...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...udget2009/home

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Cube Inmate

Disgusted...disillusioned. The rumours (er..."official leaks") that have been circulating for a few days have not lessened the blow to this supporter of fiscally responsible policies.

There is now virtually nothing differentiating the Cons from the Libs. I could try to rationalize this in any number of ways if I *wanted* to continue supporting the Cons, but there's really no point.

Moronic public
+sensationalist, doomsday media
+game-playing politicians
+religion
+human nature
--------------------------------
No hope for the future

I see you've conveniently forgotten that this budget was built on the advice of Canadians from all over the country, people who make budgetary, financial decisions on a daily basis. This is the first budget in history that truly was designed by the people instead of the Government.

You've also conveniently forgotten that any budget that didn't contain some form of stimulus was going to be voted down by the Liberals, handing the keys to Parliament over to a Socialist/Separatist/Liberal coalition. Where was the money for this stimulus supposed to come from? Should we have bombed a foreign country and stolen their oil to pay for it? Should we have raised everyone's taxes to pay for it? How about a 12% GST? Would that make you happier?

Even if you're the Government, money still does not grown on trees.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

Of course the whining Liberals still dont like the budget...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...udget2009/home

Good. I want them to vote it down. After the Conservatives bent over backwards to work with everyone to create this budget, there will be more pressure on the GG to call an election.

Then we'll finally have a Majority Government and everyone can finally move on.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

No one is going to go buy a new house / car / big ticket item because they save a whopping $50/month. A stronger business tax cut would have been better.

No, but somebody who doesn't think their job is at risk right now might decide to hold onto their cash instead of spending it.

I agree- this won't make people spend who weren't going to spend before. But it will give people incentive to spend where they were deciding to spend or save.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

Of course the whining Liberals still dont like the budget...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...udget2009/home

Thanks for that.

Classic L thinking, lets not cut taxes for those working, instead lets make it easier for those on EI to get it, and get more of it.

The middle of July for me is a fantastic time, its when I no longer have to pay into CP or EI - because those contributions are maxed out.

If I was Harper I would pay them nothing but lip service. If they want to defeat it, then so be it.

Also, I think I should fly to Newfoundland to simply b!tch slap Danny Williams - of all the politicians in this world, I detest him the most.

[FanIn80]

What's really sickening about this, is the Liberals used the threat of a coalition to get a "Liberal budget" but they're going to vote against it anyway and still assume power.

So, basically, they get to take back the power they've always thought was rightfully theirs, and they also get to Govern with the budget they actually wanted.

Unless, of course, there's an election. Then they're going to campaign on the fact that the Conservatives "lied" and gave Canadians a deficit budget - even though it's the exact same budget we would have had if the Liberals had been in power anyway.

I don't know how anyone can like this crap enough to actually willingly follow and study it. All I want to do is drag them (politicians) all out into the street and kick their asses.

[peter12]

Ah, I was pretty upset earlier. Politics in this country are so sick, but then I realized life goes on. We'll always have the squirmy little wormy people lying their way into office and then spending our money to further their own political power. We'll always have liars and cheats, we just have to hope that more good people decide to go into politics. It's a never-ending cycle.

[KevanGuy]

Apparently the Liberals are "putting the Government on probation."

[getbak]

The Liberals won't vote it down. They'll ask for a couple of minor changes, the Conservatives will make the changes, and it'll pass. We'll have an unsteady truce in Ottawa until August or September, and another election in October.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

What's really sickening about this, is the Liberals used the threat of a coalition to get a "Liberal budget" but they're going to vote against it anyway and still assume power.

Don't think that will happen.

Makes no sense for the Liberals to want to be in power in this particular economic climate.

They've more to gain long term IMO by letting the Conservatives assume power in basically a damage control no win situation. Better for them to wait until the economy turns around before pouncing then they can take credit.

[Bobblehead]

Politicians may start out honourably, but once they get power they will sell their souls to keep it.

They will pick and choose their campaign promises they uphold, and I think half the time it is just so they can say they did it when the next election comes around. The promises they break are either because it is the previous party's fault.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

Apparently the Liberals are "putting the Government on probation."

of course they are...they STILL think they are in a position of power. its sickening.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

Of course the whining Liberals still dont like the budget...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...udget2009/home

There is absolutely nothing the Conservatives could do that would be met with Liberal support. Afterall, they are trying to set themselves up to win the next election, naturally, so they have to set themselves apart from the Conservatives by opposing anything they do.

I'm pretty sure that if Harper added a "give every puppy a milk bone" promise to his platform, Ignatief would respond with "kill all dogs".

Actually... that might gain the Liberals a point or two in my books.

Anyway, I heard a bit of Ignatief's response. "It is terrible, atrocious, it sucks, is horrible, a waste of money, will send Canada back into the dark ages and will ruin this country for all time. But... I can live with it."

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

Apparently the Liberals are "putting the Government on probation."

Comical. Trying to surrender without losing face.

[flylock shox]

Anybody catch Ignatieff's remark to the effect of the Conservative base being thrown by this budget into a state of "deep ideological confusion from which I hope it never recovers"?

I'm not sold on this feller, but I like his quotability so far.

[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.

[habernac]

OTTAWA — The Liberals want an amendment to the federal budget requiring periodic economic status reports to Parliament starting in March, says Leader Michael Ignatieff.
He said that’s the price of Liberal support for the budget, which Finance Minister Jim Flaherty brought down on Tuesday.
“We are putting this government on probation,” he said Wednesday.
The NDP and the Bloc Quebecois have already said they’ll vote against the budget and the Conservative government must have Liberal support to survive. Ignatieff said the budget doesn’t have everything he’d like to see, but it does contain some good elements forced on the Tories by the united opposition.

http://money.canoe.ca/News/Federal_B...175806-cp.html

[flylock shox]

Did he just say he's a big "L" Liberal with a small "L" liberal all the way down?