[Newsbot]

Filibuster Cartoons
Title: Harpernomics (click to view)
Date: February 8, 2011
I've often written about the ideological credentials of Stephen Harper on this site, and highlighted the massive, disappointing disconnect between what the man has (very articulately) stated he believes about politics and economics, and what he's actually done during his five years as prime minister.

Yesterday's National Post laid the data depressingly bare. Under Prime Minister Harper, that supposed most conservative of conservatives, Canada's government spending has massively increased virtually without exception across the board. To quote the article, "Federal program spending during [former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin's] final year in power — 2005-2006 — stood at $175-billion. By 2009-2010, under Mr. Harper, it had climbed to $245-billion." Every year of Harper, in short, has seen more government spending than the year that preceded it — even while adjusting for GDP growth — meaning Ottawa is projecting no identifiable signs that it is slowly transitioning into a new era of fiscal restraint, as Harper himself often claims.

The Prime Minister also often claims that his spending sprees have been carefully targeted, either as recession-battling stimulus initiatives or much-needed investments in crucial government services such as military and policing, which had gone dangerously under-funded during previous Liberal administrations. As the Post piece makes quite clear, however, the data doesn't exactly back up such rhetoric; spending has pretty much increased everywhere, in all ministries and departments, regardless of how historically "good" they've been portrayed in Conservative Party talking points. Indeed, many of Canada's most famously bloated and wasteful ministries, such as immigration and Indian affairs, have seen their funding grow significantly under Harper, along with their roster of full-time employees. The Government of Canada, already the single largest employer in the country, now has a staff of around 280,000; an addition of nearly 33,000 new government jobs since 2005.

Harper will unveil his sixth federal budget within the next month or two, a document that will no doubt be eagerly analyzed to see if, after one of the highest-spending eras in Canadian history, the Conservative Party will finally unveil any tangible plan to scale back our country's ballooning deficits and debt. Significantly, there is also much talk that 2011 may be the year Harper chooses to call an election and seek a third term, so it seems reasonable to presume the two announcements will sync up in some strategic fashion. Regardless, until the PM shows some willingness to reverse his government's current course of unbridled, unapologetic high-deficit spending, the Conservatives are going to have a very difficult time convincing voters what makes their "fiscally conservative" party a more responsible alternative to their left-wing, "tax and spend" opponents.

[bootlegga]

I don't usually agree with your political views here JJ, but this one is bang on the money!

And let's face it, the corporate tax cuts he is rumoured to hand out with the next budget (expected to be $60 billion over 10 years) sure isn't going to help him with the deficit either.

From the article you cited;

Quote:

• Justice decreased its spending relative to GDP by more than 4%;

I thought this party was all about justice nad tougher sentencing, more prisons, etc and they cut spending there? Honestly, I don't get it...

[Proculation]

bootlegga wrote:

I don't usually agree with your political views here JJ, but this one is bang on the money!

And let's face it, the corporate tax cuts he is rumoured to hand out with the next budget (expected to be $60 billion over 10 years) sure isn't going to help him with the deficit either.

From the article you cited;

Quote:

• Justice decreased its spending relative to GDP by more than 4%;

I thought this party was all about justice nad tougher sentencing, more prisons, etc and they cut spending there? Honestly, I don't get it...

I will not vote for Harper because of what he did to the economy. Maybe for an independent.

But well, the problem of the state being in deficit is not a revenue problem. It's a spending problem !! Cutting the corporate taxes is a good move but Harper will have to understand what "conservative" means. The spendings keep getting higher and higher. He's acting like a real 'liberal'. That's very frustrating to see how he manages the economy.

[sandorski]

It's important that Stimulus Spending not be blamed on Harper IMO. That was forced on him, but that said his incessant Tax Cuts and constant Spending are a huge fiscal problem. All the Military Spending he has proposed(and even later canceled)seems necessary/useful, but he's just crammed too much too soon to make feasible in the longterm. Chances are good that many of these will end up on the Spending Cut floor by any Government seeking to put right the Fiscal Balance once again. Which will once again leave the Military underfunded and even viewed negatively by both Government and the Public. Harper needs to take a more pragmatic approach to Defense Spending rather than the All In approach he has been using.

[Proculation]

wow sandorski. what happened to you ? That post was great and it did not contain the word "fail"

[Canadaka]

Harper was already overspending before the stimulus & recession, can't use that as an excuse.

[bootlegga]

sandorski wrote:

It's important that Stimulus Spending not be blamed on Harper IMO. That was forced on him, but that said his incessant Tax Cuts and constant Spending are a huge fiscal problem. All the Military Spending he has proposed(and even later canceled)seems necessary/useful, but he's just crammed too much too soon to make feasible in the longterm. Chances are good that many of these will end up on the Spending Cut floor by any Government seeking to put right the Fiscal Balance once again. Which will once again leave the Military underfunded and even viewed negatively by both Government and the Public. Harper needs to take a more pragmatic approach to Defense Spending rather than the All In approach he has been using.

Well, in fairness, the Conservatives 40 year shipbuilding plan is a step towards a more balanced spending plan, but too many purchases have been rammed through (the C-17, CH-47, CC-148, etc) in too short a time - and it is those purchases that have contributed to the deficit. Those helicopter contracts for example are both far more expensive (almost double) what was originally budgeted for. Programs like the JSF certainly aren't helping either...even though we do need a replacement for the CF-18.