Our parliament is back in action after being out of business while supposedly our conservative turd-nuggets “calibrated”  their economic plans to “save” the Canadian Economy.  What do we get?  A large horse and pony show about possibly changing the national anthem and more tax cuts for business and the banking industry.

We are cutting taxes on the financial sector. Don't complain...have some yummy ice-cream to make all those thoughts of fairness go away. Silly Public.

We stopped the business of government so we can get yet another typically conservative budget?  Some putrid highlights:

  • The finance minister promised many times that this budget would not include any significant tax cuts, but he just couldn’t help himself.  No Harper budget is complete without a major tax cut for business, even after business leaders say we now need tax increases.
  • The major new business tax cut this year is a complete elimination of tariffs on manufacturing inputs and machinery and equipment. This move aims to make Canada’s manufacturing sector into a free trade zone, consistent with their aggressive new free trade plans and will cost the federal government an estimated $1.3 billion over five years.
  • Further planned cuts to corporate income taxes will drive the federal corporate tax rate down to 15% down by almost half from the from 29.12% rate in 2000.  These cuts so far have cost more than $100 billion and further cuts will cost the government an additional $20 billion in lower revenues during the next five years.
  • The Harper government is continuing with these further cuts even though the steep cuts so far have had little positive impact in increasing investment or productivity

Well isn’t that just fraking grand.  The opposition, rather than condemning this albatross of a budget, will quietly vote to pass this budget.  Will the Afghan detainee torture scandal resurface?  Will Harper and his merry band of neo-conservative business courtiers continue to sell ordinary Canadians down the river?

I hope the we get some real direction from our opposition soon.  I’m getting tired and quite cranky over the mendacious conservative rule we are toiling under.