Monday, July 06, 2009

Hello! Who's On First?





Sorry, I couldn't resist. I just see and hear a similarity between Costello and Flaherty.

I mean, just how many times can one man be wrong? In Costello's case, there are few ramifications and those that occur are funny. Flaherty? Not so much. His black comedy is playing out over the nation after all.

In his latest fiscal projections, obtained by Canwest News Service, budget officer Kevin Page said the combined federal deficits that began last year will total $159.3 billion by 2014 — a hole much deeper than the current predictions of $103.5 billion from the Finance Department.

Moreover, while the Finance Department still predicts a small surplus by 2014, Page predicted the government will be running a deficit of nearly $17 billion that year, of which $11.9 billion will be a "structural" or permanent deficit, one that would keep on piling up debt year after year.


"The budget is not structurally balanced over the medium term," said Page's report, to be officially released Wednesday.


The Finance Department is predicting a small surplus? Surplus? Really?

Look, I'm sure the people at Finance are doing their very best, but really, does anyone think that maybe, just maybe, they are a bit constrained in what they can report? I mean, we've seen any number of stories that suggest the public service has been pushed back or worse, ignored, in order to get the Conservative line out there. Why would Finance be any different?

If that's the case, I feel for them and their integrity. Remember, if the Liberals win next time out, we're the party that will have to pick up the pieces, including the confidence of these people. No small task.

Much has been written today about this report. I'll leave it to you to read about it.

The one thing that stands out for me though, is just how not forthcoming the government is with a plan to get us out of this. I mean seriously...Flaherty keeps touting that it will just happen...poof, like magic!

"To argue now that these deficits will suddenly disappear with the return of the economy is simply not going to be true. (Flaherty) is going to have to address revenue-raising," said McKay.

Furthermore, there is a grand pile on as it relates to Ignatieff not putting out policy. Why? I'm not sure because anyone with a brain can see how little sense that makes.

I wonder though, when will it occur to the pundits that the government, our government, has not only not articulated theirs, but they appear to have none?

Perhaps they are still busy working out the who's on first riddle?

22 comments:

A Eliz. said...

Quite a good resemblance,..Flaherty sounds about as smart... Are we in a BIG problem or not!

Anonymous said...

All the taxes that have been cut, should be reinstated..and for a government with common sense, let it prevail over vote getting gimmicks (that is all they are).There will be a lot of hurt going on to set this straight. I wonder who has the gumption?

Anonymous said...

Are we in a BIG problem or not!
If you read the latest polls, the Liberals are in a bigger problem...

In Quebec the BQ is at 44% versus Libs at 31%.
In Ontario 43% Conservative, 39% Liberal and 11% NDP...

Or course some fluffers will say "not"...

As for wanting high profile candidates in Quebec, having a BMO banker is not a good idea... The Quebec Liberal branch needs a good cleansing... get rid of the old boys, get some fresh blood. Really.

Anonymous said...

In Ontario, where the top three national parties will wage some of their toughest battles in the next election, the Conservatives are in the lead at 43 per cent, ahead of the Liberals at 39 per cent and the NDP at 11 per cent.

Pollster Peter Donolo of The Strategic Counsel said the main finding of the poll is the Liberal numbers, and the sense that Mr. Ignatieff's honeymoon – seven months after becoming Liberal Leader – is over.

“They've plateaued and seem stalled in the low- to mid-30s,” Mr. Donolo said.

Note-Donolo is the past president of the LPoC.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone really think that we could "spend" our way out of this crisis?
It's all lip service from every party.

So Flaherty is wrong? What else is new - he fucked Ontario and now Canada.

penlan said...

There'll be no raising taxes with the Cons, it'll be cut funding to programs - just like Harris & Flaherty did in Ontario. And look at the mess they left behind them. Now it goes National. Raising the GST back to original levels makes the most sense but won't happen with Harper - he'd really start losing his base.

Love the pic comparisons - almost twins - lol.

Karen said...

Anon @1116, the GST certainly should be raised, but Layton is pushing to roll back corp tax cuts and that would not be prudent, imo.

Karen said...

c_wtf...oh this poll you like, ;)

It seems to me that there are a lot of nominations yet to go in Quebec aren't there?

Not sure who you are referring to re'banker.

Karen said...

anon @1124, Donolo hasn't been with the party since 1999.

He was never prez of the LPC. He was Chretiens Dir. of Comm's.

Karen said...

penlan, I agree that that is the more likely scenario were they to stay in power, but they have said that they wouldn't do that either.

Flaherty keeps touting that revenues will magically increase and fix everything.

It really is a mess.

penlan said...

"...I agree that that is the more likely scenario were they to stay in power, but they have said that they wouldn't do that either."

What they say doesn't mean a thing. They've gone back on so many things they've said since they came to power that it means nothing. They would definitely not go with raising taxes, against their ideology. Cutting back on programs IS their ideology.

Anonymous said...

c_wtf...oh this poll you like, ;)

It seems to me that there are a lot of nominations yet to go in Quebec aren't there?

Not sure who you are referring to re'banker.


The banker is Jacques Ménard.

Don't really like that poll. I've I have consistently said, the Quebec wing of the Liberal party needs to rejuvenate itself. Not by sucking up to "nationalists" in Quebec but with a harder Federalist approach. At the moment, it looks like the Quebec Liberals are an old boys club, it will not resonate with the voting population.

Anonymous said...

KNB, you're actually claiming that Donolo is not a member of the LPoC?

Karen said...

anon, no. I have no idea if he is a member of the party or not. He may well be.

I only meant to clear up his past professional association with the party.

RuralSandi said...

Anon - get a grip - Nanos, according to Kady O'Mally a while back, is conservative.

Who cares?

Anonymous said...

Rural Sandi, check your meds.

Anonymous said...

According to Kady, get off of the drugs RS.

Karen said...

anon, I don't know what you're on about, but Kady did say that Nanos was a conservative.

She wasn't saying anything out of line. It's well known and that's the context she kept it in.

Anonymous said...

KNB, that is so laughable, only a Liberal sheeple could believe that.

Do you want to buy a bridge, cheap?

Karen said...

Oh, it's you...the dimwit, back again. Sigh.

Well, you're now accusing me and sandi of lying...so you'd best come up with something resembling proof.

I'm pretty sure, based on your juvenile language, that that would be too tough a task for you though.

Do us all a favour...go away, vote for the last idiot you voted for and feel good about destroying this country.

The rest of us will carry on trying to get it back.

Anonymous said...

Kady is your proof of allegation?

What a joke.

penlan said...

knb wrote:
"Well, you're now accusing me and sandi of lying...so you'd best come up with something resembling proof.

I'm pretty sure, based on your juvenile language, that that would be too tough a task for you though."

Seems you are right, knb. No response to your request other than another stupid remark.