XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ab.politics   
   XPost: sk.politics, man.politics, mtl.general   
   From: Panca@nyet.ca   
      
   Now, if you believe that, then you're one of the 30% (or less) that still   
   support this lying PM.   
      
   This Prime Minister lies through his teeth to try to maintain credibility with   
   Canadian voters, yet can't resist taking a swipe at the leader of a distant   
   country which is also feeling the impact of dropping oil prices.   Harper is   
   nothing if not the most petty leader this country has ever seen . . . .   
      
   (So he's short-changed the provinces by holding back $3 billion taxpayer   
   dollars in a 'contingency fund'?  I wonder how much he has of our money stashed   
   in his home safe?)   
   _________________________________   
      
   December 16, 2014 - Globe and Mail   
      
   'Dramatically lower oil prices' won't stop balanced budget, Harper says   
      
      
   Stephen Harper insists his government will post a surplus next year even with   
   dramatically lower oil prices, a strong expression of confidence from the Prime   
   Minister that comes as private sector economists express growing doubt that   
   Ottawa will climb out of deficit next year   
      
   Stephen Harper insists his government will post a surplus next year even with   
   dramatically lower oil prices, a strong expression of confidence from the Prime   
   Minister that comes as private sector economists express growing doubt that   
   Ottawa will climb out of deficit next year.   
      
   Speaking at a Quebec City event in which he announced $35.7-million for   
   heritage sites, Mr. Harper said he is certain the federal government will   
   return to surplus next year.   
      
   "You should be under no doubt that the government will balance its budget next   
   year. We are well within that range, even with dramatically lower oil prices,   
   we will balance the budget," he said.   
      
   Mr. Harper's government is currently projecting a $1.6-billion surplus for   
   2015-16, a figure that is based on assumption that the price for North American   
   crude will average around $81 (U.S.). The price of oil has since dropped   
   significantly, trading around $56 this week.   
      
   Still, the Prime Minister acknowledged the lower oil prices will affect the   
   government's "flexibility." While he did not specify what that means, the   
   Conservatives are planning a 2015 pre-election budget and this could limit the   
   amount of new spending or tax cuts that the government could announce.   
      
   While lower oil prices hurt energy-producing provinces like Alberta,   
   Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, they can benefit manufacturing   
   provinces like Quebec and Ontario, especially with a lower Canadian dollar.   
   Overall, the impact is negative for economic growth in Canada, which translates   
   into less tax revenue coming in to Ottawa.   
      
   The government has also set aside a $3-billion contingency for unforeseen   
   events. Several economists said this week that the contingency reserve should   
   be enough to maintain a small surplus, but that it will be close.   
      
   Bank of Montreal chief economist Doug Porter told The Globe this week that   
   fluctuating oil prices amount to a "huge wild card" for finance ministers that   
   will make it very difficult to produce economic forecasts.   
      
   "It looks like [Ottawa] might still be able to claw out a surplus if absolutely   
   everything went right from here, but we know better than to expect everything   
   to go right. So I think very much they're at risk of remaining in deficit in   
   the next fiscal year based on today's oil prices," he said.   
      
   Economists generally say it makes little practical difference whether or not   
   Ottawa is in a small surplus or deficit, provided that long-term trends are   
   positive. However the Conservatives have made a balanced budget by 2015-16 a   
   key political pledge.   
      
   The 2011 Conservative election platform promised to eliminate the deficit in   
   2014-15 – the current fiscal year. The government's fall fiscal update   
   indicated that that likely would have occurred if not for the government's new   
   policy measures, which include tax breaks for small business and Canadian   
   families with children under 18. The Prime Minister has previously said Ottawa   
   will post a deficit in 2014-15.   
      
   Mr. Harper said Tuesday that lower prices will have an impact on revenue, but   
   indicated it will not be enough to eliminate the surplus.   
      
   "The only question will be how much flexibility we have in the short term. This   
   will obviously reduce some of our fiscal flexibility but it will not, by any   
   means, stop us from reaching a balance and at the same time, as you know,   
   making the important investments we've made," he said.   
      
   Unprompted, Mr. Harper then went on to note the impact of lower oil prices on   
   Russia.   
      
   "A you know, the fall of oil prices is having important effects around the   
   world. There are economies a lot more dependent on the oil price than Canada's,   
   or frankly than Alberta's, and one of them is Russia," he said. "I think we are   
   all noticing the difficulties that are emerging in Russia, partly because of   
   falling oil prices, partly because of poor governance of the economy and also   
   partly because of sanctions that have been imposed by us and by our allies and   
   obviously as these factors bite, we encourage Mr. Putin to respect the   
   sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbours and also to act in a   
   way that's less aggressive towards the international community."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)