Balance This

I found this article on Reason interesting.

It looks at how New Zealand and Canada balanced its respective budgets in the 1980s and 1990s.

I can only speak of the Canadian example. It is true the Liberals brought spending under control throughout their three terms. It was, I argue, their main strength. The rest...let's just say I wasn't much impressed. Still, I liked what they did on the economy and voted twice out of the three times for them.

After two terms, I felt it was enough as there were other matters they seemed to not treat with any political professionalism like foreign policy and the state of the military. Plus, they became way too arrogant and corrupt.

So. Out they went with my third vote.

The interesting thing is the Liberals cut many programs during their dynasty and increased taxes. PM Harper is pussy cat next to what they did to bring on a surplus. Now, of course, there were, if my memory serves me correct, pundits who charged all they did was cook the books, but for the sake of this post, let's just say they succeeded either way.

Ironically, the conservatives too want to curtail spending and when they've merely asked to cut some non-essential programs, they were villified as if they've gutted a goat and drank its blood on Parliament Hill. Interesting that.

Although, admittedly, they weren't all that fiscally conservative when they bailed out companies and continue to subsidize big oil and corporate bums like Bombardier.

The End.