Jim Flaherty predicts big surplus in 2015 budget

[petros]

The budget is only a slice of the pie.

I could give a rat's a$s about the budget.
Do we have a bigger pie or smaller pie Jim?
Cheap a$s apple or pecan?
Ice cream/no ice cream?
Flapper crust or dough?
Who is baking the pie and how much do we owe the baker?

The pie is what really matters.

The federal government will not only balance the budget in 2015, it will run up a sizable surplus before the next federal election, says Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

The minister made the pledge after meeting private-sector economists in his office Monday, and after the Parliamentary Budget Officer released his latest analysis of the books, showing a razor-thin surplus in the critical 2015-16 year.

“The plan is to budget a surplus in 2015 and not a tiny surplus,” Flaherty said. “There will be no doubt that we’re balanced in 2015.”

The distinction is significant because Prime Minister Stephen Harper is counting on a balanced budget in March 2015 — and preferably a significant surplus — to fulfil a 2011 campaign pledge to introduce income splitting for couples with children in time for the October 2015 election.

The promise was contingent on having eliminated the deficit.

To explain the unexpected surplus projection, Flaherty noted that the government signalled in the throne speech two weeks ago it intends to freeze the operating budget, thereby restraining public-service hiring and pay increases.

The minister said his officials will inform the PBO on the savings the measure will realize, as well as discuss with the budget watchdog so-called “lapses” in departmental spending, “and we’re talking substantial sums of money,” the minister said.

WOOHOO! Here comes the Socialist spending to buy votes instead of paying off the debt.

 

[PoliticalNick]

For some reason this 'balanced budget' talk reminds me strangely of the BC Liberals a few years back.....

 

[petros]

It reminds me of bullsh*t.

How many veterans feel happy about it? Part of it is on their backs.

 

[darkbeaver]

Paying off the pie debt would be suicide for any Canadian political party, and I mean the whole party and I mean real caskets, twenty minutes later, the banks would fix everything and we would be in permanent debt again.

 

[Kreskin]

Without Duffy it all balances.

In fairness the year of surplus was predicted a long time ago by the conservatives. It's not a new revelation