Got Federal Budget?

Ok, Jim Flaherty says the budget is sensible and doesn't raise taxes. Hmm, it seems that in order to pay for new prisons, longer prison terms for inmates, and new fighter planes to replace the aging CF-18's, we need to raise taxes.

Kevin Page, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, says the Conservatives have not provided him accurate numbers on how much the aforementioned programs will cost.

Before anyone blows a gasket, I understand that when you are dealing with large capital expenditures, you will inevitably get some cost overruns. But when the cost overruns get into the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars, we would be remiss to not question the math.

Surprise, surprise, the opposition parties don't support the budget. Were it not for the Conservatives contempt of parliament putting blood in the political waters, I don't think the opposition parties would be chomping at the bit to send Canadians to the polls come this May as is currently projected.

I would love to sit in on a meeting where hundreds of millions to billions of dollars in government spending/contracts is being worked out or negotiated. Just to be able to write out so many zeroes and say 'Oh yeah, this will only cost exactly a billion dollars!'