2007/02/19

Tories spending like drunken sailors

What happened to all this fiscal discipline that Stephen Harper promised us? The http://www.thestar.com/article/183221 reports that the Conservatives are on a spending spree with taxpayers' money, doling out about $10 billion in the past three months. Harper's surprise $1.5 billion announcement in Quebec last week for a national EcoTrust program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants is new money, money Harper, on the eve of an expected Quebec election, said he would draw from the 2006-07 year-end surplus. When the Liberals were in power the Conservatives criticized such year-end spending as "March madness." The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the government has failed to keep its promises on two counts: it is not reining in spending growth, and it is "spending down the surplus" just as the Liberals used to do.Apparently, program spending is growing at a rate of around 7.8 per cent, far in excess of the 3 % level the Conservatives promised in the election. More hypocrisy!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What do you expect from the Cons? They're trying to buy the next election, just like the Liberals used to do.Look for more pork barreling before the election writ is dropped.

Anonymous said...

When I voted for Harper I thought we would be getting a change from the past. I regret to see that has not happened. Given what Harper is doing with a minority, I shudder to think what he'll do if he gets a majority. Which means, tinme for a reality check when voting next time.