The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation has officially made the call for the government to start spending within its means, calling this record debt a milestone for the Harper Government. To put some perspective on the size of this debt, if divided among Canadians, each person would be $17,200 in the red.
At the current rate, with increased deficits, Canada's debt is growing by $74.6 million per day or $863 per second.
CTF director Gregory Thomas said that much of the stimulus spending that was made to fix the economy in 2008 was unnecessary and is in fault for the deficits that brought Canada's debt to record levels - and to think Canada was paying it off when the Liberals were in power from 1993 to 2006.
"The economy bounced back and ... we're going to be paying those stimulus dollars 20, 30 years from now if we don't get our act together.".
Thomas pointed out that of the unnecessary funds, much of it was wasted and specifically targeted the government's ad campaigns to sell themselves - yes we are paying for that too!
"They're borrowing money to sell Canadians on themselves."
The government inherited a debt of $481 billion and a surplus of $13 billion in 2006 and with reckless spending and terrible economic management, the Conservatives spent Canada into a deficit before the recession in 2008. Once the recession had hit Canada, the government was cornered into bringing out a stimulus plan which it, in turn, used as a propaganda machine to sell themselves as worthy economic managers. Four years later, Canada is still in deficit, deeper than initially forecast and the Government's records have been so impeccable that there is a real possibility that the House of Commons and Canadians aren't the only ones blindfolded over economic issues, but Flaherty himself as well.
Meanwhile, on the provincial scale, debt is rising as well, unless you are in Alberta where they are stockpiling money as we speak.
Debt per ProvinceFlaherty acknowledged that Canada's debt won't be erased by 2021 and that further cuts would be necessary. He has ruled out tax increases and cuts to provincial transfers for the 2013 budget.
- Alberta: $4,337 cumulative surplus
- Saskatchewan: $3,354 debt per person
- British Columbia: $7,866 debt per person
- Manitoba: $11,603 debt per person
- P.E.I.: $11,919 debt per person (2011-2012)
- New Brunswick: $13,336 debt per person
- Nova Scotia: $14,023 debt per person
- Newfoundland: $15,225 debt per person
- Ontario: $17,621 debt per person
- Quebec: $21,432 debt per person
Everyone will pay the price for this record debt, and it is enough of an indication of Conservative economic management to know that their Action Plan ads were nothing but empty propaganda used solely to brainwash the masses into voting Conservative in subsequent elections - and it didn't cost the Conservative party a cent in election expenses either!
1 comment:
Um... you're not attempting to be non partisan in your articles are you?
It'd sure be nice to read something actually factual and unbiased. Sadly, everyone has an agenda to promote, and therefore cannot be truthfully true.
Article dismissed as propaganda.
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