Huron Expositor, 2007-03-28, Page 7The Huron Expositor • March 28, 2007 Page 7
News
Federal budget a spending spree designed
to engineer an election, says Huron -Bruce MP
Gerard Crcces
atEMMENEMO
"This is not a good budget for
Canadians," Huron -Bruce MP, Paul
Steckle said of what he considers
the most Liberal of all the
Conservative federal budgets.
Last week Federal Finance
Minister, Jim Flaherty set a record
as being the biggest spender in
Canadian history — a move seen by
Steckle as an early offense for a
potential federal election.
He pointed to growing speculation
in the media, citing editorialists of
both political stripes, about what
such a large spending spree will do
to Canada's books in the long run.
"By 2008-2009, they're expecting
a $300 million surplus," Steckle
said, noting this is not a large sum
of money when it comes to govern -
Provincial
budget brings
approval
for Vanastra
sewage
upgrade
Susan H u n d e r t m a r k
After being turned down three
times for a COMRIF (Canada -
Ontario Municipal Rural
Infrastructure Fund) grant to fund
two-thirds of an upgrade to the
Vanastra sewage plant, Huron East
received half of the project's cost
through last week's provincial bud-
get.
Huron East got $633,500 out of
$6.5 million earmarked by the
province for rural infrastructure
improvements.
Huron East Deputy -Clerk Brad
Knight said the provincial grant
pays 50 per cent of the project.
"We were in a bit of a dilemma.
We hated to ask for too much and
get nothing and we've had three
runs at COMRIF," he says.
The upgrade to the Vanatra
sewage plant, including a new
retention tank, should completely
eliminate bypasses to the system.
Knight says the project has
already been engineered and is
ready for a tender call. He hopes to
see it completed within the year.
ment spending. "What happens
down the road? Say the economy
flounders... interest rates rise one
percent and we're back into a
deficit," he said.
Steckle's concern is that the
deficit reduction begun and com-
pleted by the Liberals in the 1990's
could be undone with even the
slightest hiccup in the system.
Somewhat somber, he added that
though the Liberals had to make
significant cuts across the board to
eliminate Canada's debt, the result
has been extremely effective.
Pointing out Harper's own past as
the CEO of the Canadian
Taxpayer's Federation, Steckle said
the new Conservative party's spend-
ing would not have bode well with
the former Alliance member in the
days of the Martin and Chretien
governments.
He added the road towards elec-
tion could be full of potholes.
"I think there's going to be a back-
lash and he's going to try to engi-
neer an election," Steckle said. "It
will be done at his peril if he does."
Steckle said the ideal situation
would be to have the Harper gov-
ernment remain in the pilot's seat
to avoid throwing Canada into
another election, using his own his-
tory as illustration.'
"I should have been serving 20
years for five elections," he said of
the wasteful nature of election
spending that has resulted in
minority government after minority
government.
Steckle also said the country
needs to move towards fixed elec-
tion dates to prevent further waste.
"We need to move as quickly as
we can towards that system," he
said.
Though he won't be running in
the next election if and when it
comes, Steckle assured his con-
stituents he will stick it out to the
end.
"11 ,1 1 --- - - - - 1. n : vv.%
iviy ueparbure may ;JO 11uui111G114,
it may not be for some time but I
will continue to work until my last
day."
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