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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Throne Speech abandons "no deficit" promise to voters: Elizabeth May
Green Party leader Elizabeth May was forced to watch the Speech from the Throne from the Senate Chamber after failing to defeat Conservative PM Peter MacKay in the Pictou-Antigonish—Guysborough riding in the federal election.
The view from the cheap seats likely spoiled her mood as the seat-less leader of the fifth party took an rather weak shot at Prime Minister Stephen Harper:
"It was shocking to hear that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has so quickly abandoned his election commitment to no deficits. In the leaders' debate I was the only leader honest enough to tell voters that, while we would work to avoid deficit spending, in a recession it might be unavoidable. Mr. Harper committed to voters that he would maintain balanced budgets. In his first statement of intentions he has broken that promise," said May.
If deficit spending is such a good idea according to May, why is it "shocking" that Harper too would see the value of this recession-fighting strategy?
Of course, deficits are no way to fight a recession. Mass public sector layoffs and deep tax cuts are needed now more than ever before, but there is a strange economic view in Ottawa that spending – even non-productive spending on things like public sector employees and social welfare schemes – is somehow good for the economy. These are the same economic bright lights who think war, natural disasters and broken windows create economic growth.
The image for the consensus economic thinking in Ottawa is best captured by a kid with a slingshot creating new jobs for window manufacturers and installers.
Posted by Matthew Johnston
Posted by westernstandard on November 19, 2008 in Canadian Politics | Permalink
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