Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Kumbaya

Flaherty's bold proclamation of fiscal peace and strengthening the federation, increasingly shows no relationship to reality. As a matter of fact, the feel good budget looks divisive:
One day after declaring a new era in federal-provincial harmony, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was beseiged Tuesday by angry governments and voters in five provinces that claimed to have been shafted by the federal budget.

And there was rising resentment in the aggrieved provinces that they were shortchanged in order to pay for a sweetheart deal for Quebec, the biggest beneficiary of federal largesse in Monday's budget.

Budget's are about themes. Flaherty wanted this budget to be about "families". In one respect Flaherty achieved his goal, but many of the siblings aren't impressed. Daddy has a favourite.

6 comments:

Ed said...

Heh, indeed he does have a favourite. But he just wants some peace and quiet, no? ;)

Jerry Prager said...

Daddy is being driven around in a big blue machine with Mulroney Vanity plates.

wilson said...

The big winners over the long term are Alberta and Ontario with the per capita cash.

After a year of the provinces fighting it out and coming to no consensus, the feds imposed the changes to equalization.
The file is now closed.
Provinces have choices to make.

Steve V said...

"The file is now closed."

LOL

Ed said...

"The file is no closed"

Priceless!

That is funny.

Harper has decided, now you silly provinces must go away and suffer quietly, the file is closed!

Steve V said...

Flaherty's proclamations may well look like "mission accomplished" with the wisdom of time.