OTTAWA (CP) - Parliament is being asked to approve $199.7 billion in federal spending for the current fiscal year, an increase of $12.2 billion over the previous year.
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The numbers, contained in estimates tabled Tuesday by Treasury Board President John Baird, sparked fear in some quarters that the new Conservative government may not be able to keep an election promise to rein in spending.
The Tories retorted that the figures reflect the financial situation they inherited from the previous Liberal regime - and insisted things will change now that they're in power.
"It's a major concern, a priority of our government, to start bringing some control into federal spending,' said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.
He said he was "truly taken aback" by the rate at which the Liberals allowed spending to grow. But he wouldn't go into detail on how he will curb that trend, saying the public will have to wait for his first budget next week to get a glimpse of the Conservative game plan.
Baird acknowledged the new government is committed to spending increases in some areas, such as health care transfers to the provinces and national defence.
But like Flaherty he wouldn't explain whether those boosts can be offset by tightening the belt in other areas.
"I'll let the minister of finance speak to that in the budget on May 2," said Baird.
John Williamson, head of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, was skeptical that the figures released Tuesday can be laid entirely at the Liberal doorstep.
"The estimates that were tabled show the (Conservative) government is having a lot of trouble meeting its campaign commitment to hold the line on spending," said Williamson.
"If they can't do that, the rest of their program is not achievable."
Officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity maintained the Tories haven't had a chance yet to put their stamp on government policy.
The estimates presented Tuesday still reflect the financial course set under the last Liberal budget, they said.
The figures were tabled in the Commons for technical reasons, because Parliament must appropriate money this spring to keep the machinery of government ticking over.
But Flaherty is expected to lay out a new course in his budget next week. That broad outline will be followed by further work to refine spending plans, with the final details to be presented in the form of supplementary estimates this fall.
The officials noted, for example, that the preliminary estimates do not take account of program cuts announced recently in the Environment Department, where the Tories want to axe some programs they consider ineffective in fighting global warming.
Similarly, the current estimates continue to allocate over $80 million for the federal firearms centre which administers the controversial long-gun registry - a program the Conservatives have vowed to abolish.
Williamson agreed the government will likely take a new approach starting with Flaherty's budget. But he said it's far from certain the Tories can keep their campaign promise to hold spending growth for federal grants and some other key types of spending to the rate of inflation plus population growth.
That would mean a rise of 2.7 per cent in fiscal 2006-07, said Williamson. The figures released Tuesday call for an overall increase of over five per cent.
Williamson said that may explain why the Tories, although they are sticking to a promise to cut the GST, are reluctant to maintain the personal income tax cuts brought in last year by the Liberals.
"They have a spending problem on their hands that they have not been able to solve."
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/25042006...-rising-tories-insist-turn-things-around.html
ADVERTISEMENT
The numbers, contained in estimates tabled Tuesday by Treasury Board President John Baird, sparked fear in some quarters that the new Conservative government may not be able to keep an election promise to rein in spending.
The Tories retorted that the figures reflect the financial situation they inherited from the previous Liberal regime - and insisted things will change now that they're in power.
"It's a major concern, a priority of our government, to start bringing some control into federal spending,' said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.
He said he was "truly taken aback" by the rate at which the Liberals allowed spending to grow. But he wouldn't go into detail on how he will curb that trend, saying the public will have to wait for his first budget next week to get a glimpse of the Conservative game plan.
Baird acknowledged the new government is committed to spending increases in some areas, such as health care transfers to the provinces and national defence.
But like Flaherty he wouldn't explain whether those boosts can be offset by tightening the belt in other areas.
"I'll let the minister of finance speak to that in the budget on May 2," said Baird.
John Williamson, head of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, was skeptical that the figures released Tuesday can be laid entirely at the Liberal doorstep.
"The estimates that were tabled show the (Conservative) government is having a lot of trouble meeting its campaign commitment to hold the line on spending," said Williamson.
"If they can't do that, the rest of their program is not achievable."
Officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity maintained the Tories haven't had a chance yet to put their stamp on government policy.
The estimates presented Tuesday still reflect the financial course set under the last Liberal budget, they said.
The figures were tabled in the Commons for technical reasons, because Parliament must appropriate money this spring to keep the machinery of government ticking over.
But Flaherty is expected to lay out a new course in his budget next week. That broad outline will be followed by further work to refine spending plans, with the final details to be presented in the form of supplementary estimates this fall.
The officials noted, for example, that the preliminary estimates do not take account of program cuts announced recently in the Environment Department, where the Tories want to axe some programs they consider ineffective in fighting global warming.
Similarly, the current estimates continue to allocate over $80 million for the federal firearms centre which administers the controversial long-gun registry - a program the Conservatives have vowed to abolish.
Williamson agreed the government will likely take a new approach starting with Flaherty's budget. But he said it's far from certain the Tories can keep their campaign promise to hold spending growth for federal grants and some other key types of spending to the rate of inflation plus population growth.
That would mean a rise of 2.7 per cent in fiscal 2006-07, said Williamson. The figures released Tuesday call for an overall increase of over five per cent.
Williamson said that may explain why the Tories, although they are sticking to a promise to cut the GST, are reluctant to maintain the personal income tax cuts brought in last year by the Liberals.
"They have a spending problem on their hands that they have not been able to solve."
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/25042006...-rising-tories-insist-turn-things-around.html
