Tackling the deficit and clamping down on the growth of government spending will avoid “devastating cuts” in the future, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday in Parliament.
“Bad choices now, unaffordable long-term spending commitments, ill-advised tax hikes, ditherings on deficits and difficult decisions will doom those countries who choose them to years of debt, stagnation and unemployment,” Harper said in the House of Commons.
Harper was elaborating on the throne speech delivered last week by Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean, which laid out the government’s agenda.
Harper said the economy cannot be taxed into prosperity, that the deficit must begin to come down “modestly now but quickly by next year” and that spending growth will have be moderated immediately.
“If we do these things, we will also be able to avoid the absolute levels of reduction and the kinds of devastating cuts to core services like health care, pensions and education that will occur if we delay as past governments did after previous recessions,” the prime minister said.
The government’s plan to get ahead of its $54-billion deficit is built largely on the back of $17.6 billion worth of savings over the next five years that will come from streamlining and reducing the operating and administrative costs of government departments.
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“Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff criticized Harper and the speech from the throne, saying it had no new ideas and was full of gimmicks that ignore important issues like health care and clean energy innovations.
He said the throne speech will be largely forgotten, remembered only for ‘one of the most remarkable flip-flops in the history of throne speeches — a promise to change O Canada that lasted approximately 48 hours.’”
Note the “clean energy innovations” comment. It’s a reminder that we have a choice to make:
Play along with the Harper/Prentice idea of some sort of tag team climate game with Obama whose unionized anti-trade regime would love to scrap NAFTA and close our borders to trade
Or
Get mad at our conservatives for not being conservative, throw them out and get Iggy and some kind of Climate Shaft II.
Also note the banana peeling of O Canada. Gotta give Iggy something to chew on.
Ohhh and the Lawrence Martin link is incredible drivel as usual. I’m surprised even G&M readers would use that in their bird cage.
Regarding Paul Wells link.
It would appear to all and sundry that Harper is stuck in the snow but that would not be true. Polls are for dogs and my feeling is that Harper is not being paid attention to by the Canadian voter simply because he is governing our country properly and people are not worried.
They go about their business knowing that the country is in good hands and no matter how badly the “left” tries to generate a scandal that can knock him off his pins it isn’t happening.
“You see” — Canadians don’t care about the “left” anymore. They’ve lost their foothold over us and we fully expect to see Harper finish his five years of “minority government” and move on to a “five year” majority government. The “left” is totally helpless because to dump him will only reinforce Canadian opinion that Canada does not want to “do Europe” or “Obama”.
We have other ideas — better ideas — and Harper is going to be around for a very long time.
“So” – people should just settle back and enjoy the ride.
It’s going to be a hoot as we finally bury Trudeau.
It’ll be interesting to see how Count Iggy performs in his election. I expect he’ll get his one kick at the can (same as hapless Dion did) and I suspect his results will be even more dismal.
Another magnificent speech was delivered by our Prime Minister today. Should be on CPAC if anyone missed it.
At least somebody in the MSM is taking notice.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/comment/columnists/michael_dentandt/2010/03/11/13198231.html