The ugly and uncomfortable truth is that, given the profligate spending of the 1970s and 1980s, we Canadians are continuing to live beyond our means. It may not be fair and it certainly is not the fault of the present generation, but it is the reality we must live with and overcome if we are to avoid simply passing the debts on to our own children and grandchildren.
...
Yesterday, Ipsos-Reid released a poll showing that 82 percent of Canadians, including 72 percent of Ontarians, support spending cuts as a means of balancing the budget. 82 percent of Canadians are prepared to tighten their belts and make sacrifices in order not to burden our children and grandchildren with the responsibility of correcting the mistakes of our parents and grandparents.
What would our sacrifice be compared to that of those brave Canadians who fought in the fields at Passchendaele, or on battlefields around the world in defense of freedom?
Mr. Harper’s duty is clear – as is all of ours. He must ensure that his government resists the temptation to return to the bad old days of deficit financing even temporarily, and he must deliver the spending cuts to make this happen. Canadians are ready to support him in doing so.
This is the battle that we must fight – and win.
During the last federal election, I voted for the Conservative Party. My vote did not contribute to electing a federal MP, but it did contribute to the Party's popular support, if that matters.I voted for a Conservative Party so that it could implement conservative policies. Traditionally, conservatives are supposed to be in favour of limiting spending.
When I hear of rumours that the conservatives are considering allowing a deficit, I feel like I voted Conservative for nothing.I can think of all kinds of things we could do to save money. We could eliminate agencies like Status of Women, or sell the CBC, or cut funding to athletes.
I really hate the fact that this government can be so easily spooked into restoring funding. The two most prominent instances in my mind are when Status of Women receiving an injection several million of dollars in program funding, and the recent reversal on arts cuts.
Why does the government give in to left-wing pressure groups? I strongly doubt that anyone who cares enough about Status of Women is a potential Conservative voter.
Yet the people who actually do vote Conservative get shafted.
I know that the government has implemented right-wing minor measures: like cutting the GST, giving out tax credits on certain things (and thus reducing some families' tax burden, etc)
They're trying not to be scary...According the left-wing media's definition.But if sound fiscal management, with prudent spending cuts and tax reductions, is not the reason people vote Tory...
What is?
They're not looking for another incarnation of the NDP. If the media, with all its power of persuasion, has not convinced voters to not for Harper, then perhaps it's because they really want what Harper stands for.If Stephen Harper doesn't get out the budget cleaver soon, I'm going to start pining for the days of Paul Martin when he promised to eliminate the deficit "come hell or high water".
Oh where have you gone, Preston Manning? I wish he would start exhorting the government to "ee-lim-in-ate the deficit" as in by-gone days.
