Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled his 10th federal budget Tuesday (February 11) afternoon, an interim budget before a more wide-ranging one leading into the federal election of 2015.
In a pre-budget event on Friday, Minister Flaherty suggested that his new budget would make sure the government does not “waver from the path” of fiscal responsibility.
Even so there was much speculation about what would be announced. At least one Ottawa think tank, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) warned a “so-called ‘do-nothing’ federal budget is anything but, and is likely to worsen Canada’s slowing economy”.
The presentation of the budget began at 4PM Tuesday in the House of Commons. Video of the budget presentation is here. Minister Flaherty listed numerous initiatives, announced there would be another deficit for the fiscal year 2014-15, and confirmed a balanced budget for 2015.
Elected with a budget surplus in 2006, the ruling Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper quickly went into budget deficits, but expects to balance the budget, or even have a surplus in 2015.
More information:
CTV News – Federal budget won’t be balanced in 2014, Flaherty confirms – here
RCI – CCPA’s ‘Alternative Budget’ for Canada – it’s all about choices we make – here
Finance Department – Minister of Finance Confirms Return to Balanced Budgets in 2015 – here
CPAC live feed of federal budget presentation – www.cpac.ca/en
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