The Financial Post Exposes Flaherty's Tax and Spend Budget

The Financial Post is calling Jim Flaherty's latest, not a budget but a call to arms, a high-tax plan: Higher taxes, more spending and no ­credible plan to balance the budget.

With an election around the corner, Tuesday’s federal budget was all political spin. The Conservative government presented the next phase of its Economic Action Plan: A Low-Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth. The reality, however, is that the plan increases the federal tax take, increases government spending, introduces a host of activist economic initiatives, and fails to provide a truly credible plan to balance the budget. It will, therefore, do little to improve economic growth and create jobs. Indeed, a more fitting title for the budget would have been A High-Tax Plan for More Government Spending — not exactly the message the Conservatives want to leave Canadians with as Parliament dissolves.

This budget was an insult to our intelligence.

$1.50 per day for seniors won't buy them a large double-double at Tim Hortons. $.82 a day in homecare, won't even net a chocolate bar. And since most 'social spending' was in the form of tax credits, the impoverished will see no net benefit because the only good thing about being poor in this country, is that you are in a zero tax bracket.

Almost like a corporation but without the private jets and limos.

Kevin Page has determined that for all their bluster, Canada has a 15% chance of returning to balanced budgets by 2015-2016. And besides, as NANOS recently determined, few Canadians even care now. "Economy, economy, economy", over "people, people, people". It's wearing us down.

This budget will only add to our national debt for the sake of fighter jets, deemed unsuitable; corporate tax cuts and prisons for "unreported crime".

Stephen Harper clearly wanted this election. I say, be careful what you wish for.