News   Mar 28, 2024
 200     0 
News   Mar 28, 2024
 210     0 
News   Mar 28, 2024
 269     0 

Flaherty's 'attacks' on Ontario undermine economy

I think Flaherty and his gang are most definitely deflecting the problems onto Ontario that they themselves can't do much about. From Income trust fund strategies that business/greedy have taken advantage of, which left the mindless investors crying in offices of "financial planners" all over the country, to the current investment crisis/exposure to dubious sell offs by Americans who want to buy their way out of their thoughtless greed, to the fact that Asia is now at the point of industrialization which is changing the playing fields that for way too long the western world has used to their advantage etc. Yes I think we have elected a minority government that is ill prepared to deal with the mess they find themselves in. Notice how they are currently spending like drunken sailors? Will they blame that on Ontario? Sad thing is, some Canadians believe everything this government puts out there with the help of their propaganda machine. This government doesn't like to help the average joe Canadian who finds themselves down on their luck but is more than willing to bail out Banks and leading industrial tycoons. Rant! rant! rant!
 
The slide continues....


Construction permits down for 4th month

April 07, 2008
THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA – Construction intentions cooled for a fourth straight month in February on the heels of a sharp decline in the value of building permits for non-residential construction in Ontario.

Municipalities issued $5.8 billion worth of building permits, down one per cent from January after intentions peaked at $7 billion last May and June.

Statistics Canada says February's decline resulted from much lower non-residential construction intentions in Ontario – excluding Ontario, the total value of building permits nationally would have increased 9.8 per cent.

A marked increase in residential intentions was not enough to offset a decline in intentions in the non-residential sector.

The value of residential building permits increased 18.2 per cent to $3.9 billion, fuelled by jumps in values of both multi- and single-family permits.

The value of non-residential permits fell 25.6 per cent to $1.9 billion, the lowest level in a year, due to double-digit decreases in permits for all three components: institutional, commercial and industrial.

Gains in the total value of building permits in seven provinces and in all three territories were totally offset by the substantial decline in Ontario.

Construction intentions dropped 16 per cent in the province to $2 billion, the lowest value since April 2007.

Falls in all three non-residential components in Ontario led the non-residential sector to a 44.9 per cent decline in February, partly offset by a 21.3 per cent rebound in the province's residential sector.

New Brunswick and Saskatchewan also fell, the result of lower non-residential construction intentions.

The largest gains in dollar terms occurred in Alberta (11.8 per cent to $1.3 billion) and British Columbia (16.1 to $945 million).
 
Oh Jim, you never learn.

Flaherty says he'd cut to avoid a deficit

`We're not raising taxes,' finance minister adds

Apr 10, 2008 04:30 AM
Les Whittington
Ottawa Bureau
OTTAWA–Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says the Conservatives will cut government spending if need be to avoid a budget deficit caused by the economic slowdown.
"No deficit – balanced budget," he said outside the Commons.
"We're not raising taxes," Flaherty added when asked how the federal Tories can avoid a budget shortfall if the weakening economy deprives Ottawa of expected tax revenues.
"There are other ways that governments can balance budgets, of course," Flaherty continued. "We can always restrain spending if that becomes necessary."
But he said the "cushion" in the Feb. 26 budget should be "adequate" to keep the books balanced.
The Conservatives have ushered in large hikes in program spending, which is expected to rise to $218 billion next year from $201 billion in 2007. At the same time, Flaherty has brought in cuts to corporate and personal taxes and the GST totalling $60 billion over six years.
As a result, the government's forecast surplus is only $2.3 billion for this year, and $1.3 billion next year.
With the Canadian economy performing worse than expected by the Bank of Canada and most private economic analysts, the lower-than-expected tax revenues could put the government on the edge of the first budget deficit in a decade.
"It's a combination of record increases in spending and big tax cuts – especially the GST, which is the biggest cut of the lot – bringing us perilously close to a deficit, so it doesn't take much of a further drop in forecasts to tip us into deficit," said Liberal finance critic John McCallum (Markham-Unionville).
"I hope it doesn't happen, but if it does, he (Flaherty) would have only himself to blame because he didn't leave enough of a cushion."
The Conservatives provoked widespread objections in 2006 when they announced $1 billion in spending cuts to status-of-women programs, as well as a program to help minorities mount court challenges and a range of other social and cultural projects.
Flaherty's comments on Ottawa's fiscal position came as the Washington, D.C.-based International Monetary Fund reduced its economic growth forecast for Canada as a result of the problems in credit markets and the slump in the United States, which buys most of this country's exports.
The IMF said Canada's economy would expand by 1.3 per cent this year, down from its January forecast of 1.8 per cent. The prediction for Canadian growth in 2009 is 1.9 per cent.
Both projections were well below the IMF's forecasts for world growth of 3.7 per cent this year and 3.8 per cent in 2009.
 
Looks like Jimbo has presently done some damage for the Conservatives in Ontario.
-----------------------------------------------

Tory support retreats to 2006 levels

Flaherty's anti-Ontario comments appear to have struck a sour note, stripping the Harper Conservatives of support needed for a majority government; poll also tackles Olympics, economy and polygamy

BRIAN LAGHI
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
April 15, 2008 at 3:43 AM EDT

OTTAWA — The federal Tories have ended their flirtation with majority government territory, according to a new poll that puts them back to the same support levels that gave them their current minority.

The poll shows that, while the Tories appear to be improving their standing with Quebec voters, they have lost support in Ontario since Finance Minister Jim Flaherty launched attacks on the province's Liberal government.

The Strategic Counsel survey, conducted April 10-13, found that 36 per cent of voters would support the Tories if an election were held today, compared with 30 per cent who would back the Liberals.

Support for the NDP has dropped three points from 2006, to 15 per cent.

The Bloc Québécois is down to 36 per cent in Quebec, while the Greens have the support of 10 per cent of Canadians, double their election level.

Two months ago, the Conservatives held a 12-point lead over the Liberals, 39-27.

Strategic Counsel partner Peter Donolo said the comments by Mr. Flaherty about the Ontario government's economic strategy appear to have struck a sour note.

"I think the chief casualty of Jim Flaherty's attacks was the Harper Conservative government," Mr. Donolo said. "He trash-talked his own province."

Mr. Flaherty said earlier this year that international investors would put Ontario at the bottom of their list of provinces in which to do business.

Ontario voters currently prefer the Liberals over the Tories by 42 per cent to 33 per cent, a jump of eight points for the Liberals from one month ago.

By contrast, the Tories are up to 27 per cent in Quebec, two points higher than the 2006 election, while the Grits are down one point from the same period. The Bloc has dropped six points from election day.

Mr. Donolo said the Tory rise in Quebec may be helped by Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion's recent difficulties in that province.

The poll of 1,000 Canadians is considered accurate to within three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080415.wpoll15/BNStory/National
 
A one point drop for the Liberals in Quebec is statistically insignificant, I'd like to see a chart of Quebec polls from the 2004 election going forward.
 

Back
Top