This year the government of Canada posted a disappointing budget surplus of 1.6 Billion dollars. While it is still a surplus, it is below the average of 8 billion dollar surplus that the Liberal Party has maintained over the last 8 years. The 1.6 billion dollar surplus will be used to pay down the debt, which for the first time in a while has dipped below 500 Billion. While this budget performance is still the best in all G7 countries the government faced harsh criticism from the right on the amount of pork in the budget.
Big-ticket spending items included:
-$4.3 billion for health care, to reduce hospital waiting times
$700 million for early learning and child care.
-$500 million for medical equipment.
-$2.8 billion to cover an offshore resource deal struck early this year with Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
-$2.3 billion for Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., to clean up environment problems.
-$1 billion for cattle producers hit by the mad cow crisis.
More below the fold
Link:
http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?id=edbc459d-93ba-41cb-9430-b97f92af43da&page=2
While spending on the environment, Health care, education and supporting projects for important industries hit by various crisis's it does little for the broader corporate Canada.
I write this article with more then a little snark to give you an idea of what the end result of 11 years of Liberal (center left) rule in Canada has done. As for the debt numbers, per capita Canada has about 40% per capita of debt as the the US, meaning the States is more then twice indebt then Canada.
Win elections and you have the power to have a government like this, while many of the ruling party are idiots and waste money and listen to the needs of corporations. The end result is Budget surplus, a strong economy and spending on Health Care, the environment, education and important economic issues.
So make your votes count and have some hope for the future.....this government came to power in Canada after 8 years of conservative rule maybe something similar will happen down South.