[andyt]

So they shouldn't use any surplus to pay down the debt?

[DrCaleb]

andyt andyt:

So they shouldn't use any surplus to pay down the debt?

Debt payments are part of the budget. Surplus tends to get put in the 'rainy day' fund, or general revenue.

[andyt]

According to the PBo, if the govt puts money into a rainy day fund that will be above the projected 1b deficit. General revenue is part of the budget too - not sure what it means to put surplus into general revenue, spend more? The Cons have been making the govt departments under spend, ie have a surplus at the end of the year that could be counted toward a balanced budget. With veterans affairs, as an example.

Right now the economy needs stimulus, so any surplus should go to that. If the economy is doing well, surpluses should go to paying off the debt.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

andyt andyt:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

$3bn for a social program while the navy loses its last destroyer.

And it was revealed today that the federal budget $3B in the black so far this year. So not only do we have a third world Navy and even worse in terms of scientific research, we are being over charged taxes!

Funny, the PBO says the budget is 1 bil in the red.

Also, are we being overcharged taxes with a budget in the black when we still have a large national debt?

Yes we are. As long as the govt keeps sending money to other countries, as long as we keep going with mass immigration for the sake of having it, as long as we keep taking in far more than our share of refugees, we are being overcharged with taxes.
It's always interesting to see though that lefties never seem to like the idea of scrapping those things.

The solution is simple. Want more money for Canadians? Then quit giving it to goddam foreigners.

[andyt]

You mean lefties like the bunch in Ottawa? You'd better watch it, because when I rail against mass immigration I'm called a racist. Refugees we should be taking less, but spending more per capita to help them integrate, otherwise they can just fester. As for foreign aid, are we really going to be the only country not having a foreign aid program?

[OnTheIce]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

andyt andyt:

So they shouldn't use any surplus to pay down the debt?

Debt payments are part of the budget. Surplus tends to get put in the 'rainy day' fund, or general revenue.

Interest payments on the debt are part of the budget. The surplus is used to pay down the principal.

[herbie]

$1:

Then you'd be wrong. This type of program didn't have any effect on the dollar. Zero. Did Harper make policy to affect the price of gold? How about the price of oil on the global market?

You've bitten off more than you can chew and you have no basis for your point beyond your political bias. Next time, stick to things you know about and can offer some backup when you make ridiculous statements.

Maybe you should heed your own advice Mr Economist. Tell us how last week's cutting of interest rates made the dollar stronger. Tell us how foreigners can see a Conservative gov't on the ropes come election time and you can't.

[OnTheIce]

herbie herbie:

Maybe you should heed your own advice Mr Economist. Tell us how last week's cutting of interest rates made the dollar stronger. Tell us how foreigners can see a Conservative gov't on the ropes come election time and you can't.

Harper doesn't make changes to the interest rates, that falls to Mr. Poloz.

Again, you've yet to demonstrate anything beyond your own ignorance.

[herbie]

Yeah the PM can direct them NOT to change the rates, but what you just don't seem to get is that interfering with the economy is against basic Conservative values, not everyone else's values. The Liberals did, can and might and the NDP will.

[OnTheIce]

herbie herbie:

Yeah the PM can direct them NOT to change the rates, but what you just don't seem to get is that interfering with the economy is against basic Conservative values, not everyone else's values. The Liberals did, can and might and the NDP will.

I want financial people making financial decisions. The PM has no business getting involved in the rates. I don't pay the landscaper to do my dental work.

[Jabberwalker]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

herbie herbie:

Yeah the PM can direct them NOT to change the rates, but what you just don't seem to get is that interfering with the economy is against basic Conservative values, not everyone else's values. The Liberals did, can and might and the NDP will.

I want financial people making financial decisions. The PM has no business getting involved in the rates. I don't pay the landscaper to do my dental work.

He's an Economist by profession ... the first one, BTW and one of only two P.M.s who are not lawyers (the other oddball was an engineer.

[andyt]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

He's an Economist by profession ... the first one, BTW and one of only two P.M.s who are not lawyers (the other oddball was an engineer.

So where did he practice this profession?

[Jabberwalker]

andyt andyt:

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

He's an Economist by profession ... the first one, BTW and one of only two P.M.s who are not lawyers (the other oddball was an engineer.

So where did he practice this profession?

Well, he had his Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which is an advocacy group. Other than that, I don't know. I expect that he is practicing it now. It makes more sense to me to have economists in powerful government positions over having lawyers.