Oh Flaherty, don’t flatter yourself.
Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty promises a budget surplus this fiscal year- and for the next five (though I’m really hoping he won’t last five years). The big question, of course, is what expenditures will have to be cut in order to make it work. I’ve already mentioned the cutting of public subsidies to national political parties. Flaherty also plans to cap wage increases for MPs and public servants, suspending the right to strike for govenment employees for one year, and a cap on equalization payments given to provinces (something provincial premiers already agreed to). The government may also sell off government assets to balance the books.
Meanwhile, Canada Post workers are still on strike. The wage increase they’re demanding- 2.5% for the first two years, 2.75% for the following two years- exceeds the 1.5% cap Flaherty is proposing.
Opposition is threatening to bring down the newly-elected Conservative government over the issue.
The defeat could mean another election call or the Governor General could ask Liberal leader Stephan Dion to form a government with the NDP.
Asking the opposition to form the government, instead of calling another election so soon? Where have I heard that one, before?
