Conservatives to Deliver Their First Budget Today

By 250 News

Finance Minister James Flaherty will deliver the Harper Government’s first budget today (1:00pm PST) and there aren’t likely to be any surprises.

Harper has already made it clear his government would:

1. Reduce the gst by one percent
2. Put more money into  fighting crime, through crime prevention and  policing
3. Offer  a $1200 dollar “choice in child care” allowance for families, plus offer tax credits to employers who  fund the creation of new child care spaces.
4. Spend dollars on  new “approaches to health care delivery”

Here in the Central Interior, there are hopes the government will come through on a promise Harper made long before the last election was called.   After taking an aerial tour of the Prince George region, Harper promised that, if elected, his government would ensure B.C. got  $100 million dollars a year for ten years to mitigate the devastation created by the mountain pine beetle.

What is new in this budget is that for the first time, the internet has been used for a national “consultation” with the Canadian public on how the dollars should be spent.  The Finance Department opened the link for Canadians to respond to these questions:

“Without restricting other comments you make, we would appreciate your views on the following questions:

1. What would you like to see in Budget 2006 and future budgets?
2. If you propose further tax cuts - or spending increases - where should the government spend less?
3. How can the government deliver programs more efficiently and effectively? “

The Government has yet to say what kind of response it received from that effort.

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