Deeper into Deficit Poll

[Treblehook]

Never a good thing to amass a huge deficit... I believe that is what most people would say. Even worse if the deficit is created through spending that does little or no good for Canadians generally. Maybe it is misconception, but seems to me that a huge percentage of debt incurred since Trudeau became Prime MInister, can be credited to monies gifted to foreign countries and on his globe trotting. So much for the promise that he would run a deficit for awhile in order to invest in our Canadian infra structure and create employment, etc. What a joke that has turned out to be. Over 82% of those polled are worried about the mounting deficit.

[Gone_Fishin]

[Silverstarqueen]

Harper's deficits: 2009, 60Billion. 2010, 35B. 2011, 27B. 2012, 19B.
Trudeau's :2016 (eight months), 12B.

I prefer the deficits on the lower end. Sometimes they are necessary, but 60 B, 35B, 27B, these are too high and just cause more pain down the road.
The poll's question , as usual is impossible to answer so simply. The financial state of a country is very complex. with the sudden downturn in Alberta's economy, this is bound to affect the revenue, spending of a country.

[Gone_Fishin]

Harper's deficits: 2009, 60Billion. 2010, 35B. 2011, 27B. 2012, 19B.
Trudeau's :2016 (eight months), 12B.

I prefer the deficits on the lower end. Sometimes they are necessary, but 60 B, 35B, 27B, these are too high and just cause more pain down the road.
The poll's question , as usual is impossible to answer so simply. The financial state of a country is very complex. with the sudden downturn in Alberta's economy, this is bound to affect the revenue, spending of a country.

Do you know what a global recession is? Do you know why Canada was the strongest country financially in the G8 under Harper?

[Muzza]

Do you know what a global recession is? Do you know why Canada was the strongest country financially in the G8 under Harper?

I've given up explaining it to them. It doesn't fit their narrative, so they ignore the facts, such as Harper being forced to run large deficits by the NDP and Liberals.

[jimmy4321]

High price of Oil helped our last government only add 150 billion to our national debt.

[Gone_Fishin]

High price of Oil helped our last government only add 150 billion to our national debt.

Oil is only 3% of Canada's GDP.

[dle]

Never a good thing to amass a huge deficit... I believe that is what most people would say. Even worse if the deficit is created through spending that does little or no good for Canadians generally. Maybe it is misconception, but seems to me that a huge percentage of debt incurred since Trudeau became Prime MInister, can be credited to monies gifted to foreign countries and on his globe trotting. So much for the promise that he would run a deficit for awhile in order to invest in our Canadian infra structure and create employment, etc. What a joke that has turned out to be. Over 82% of those polled are worried about the mounting deficit.

I agree completely with your comment that if the debt is occurring because of new projects for infrastructure and job creation then I'm okay with it, and was one of the reasons I voted for him. I do understand that sometimes you have to go into debt to improve on something and those improvements create jobs, which is a good thing. However, I don't see where that is happening anywhere yet. Perhaps it has cost more on other projects unrelated to job creation and upgrading our infrastructure than they originally thought and that's where it's gone, but I'm not okay with that. If that's the case, he should have stopped doing whatever was causing the drain on our funds so they could be used for what they were promised. I haven't been following along too closely on announcements of the start of any big projects so I might have missed it, but a year into accumulating the debt I think I would have seen some little tidbits along the way. I was just pondering this big debt a couple of days ago and wondering where, exactly, has this money been spent? I think we need an actual accounting just to get us up to speed.

I voted for Justin and I knew going in there was going to be a big debt but if it hasn't gone exactly where he said it was going, then I'm definitely not okay with that. I really get cranky when politicians change the direction of my tax dollars when I've voted for them based on their promise the dollars will supposedly go elsewhere.

[Omnitheo]

Maybe it is misconception, but seems to me that a huge percentage of debt incurred since Trudeau became Prime MInister, can be credited to monies gifted to foreign countries and on his globe trotting.

It may seem that way to you, however this is not the case. There is not a "huge percentage" caused by foreign aid or travel expenses. However as you are the OP and the one making this claim, I will leave the onus to you to provide facts to back up your claim.

Facts are though that most foreign aid money had already been earmarked and promised by the previous conservative government and would have gone out anyways regardless of who was in power. Furthermore travel expenses still make up such a minuscule expense compared to the Canadian economy that they barely register, yet they are necessary functions for the leader, and also would have been incurred under any government.

If you can point to something that is unique to the current liberal government that has had a significant impact on Canadian debt without potential for ROI, and provide real sources and statistics, I would like to hear about it and discuss it.

[bob vernon]

Steve Harper had deficit after deficit. Eight in a row in fact, and even his ninth was made up of so much BS. He tried to convince us that it was balanced, too. But it wasn't.

Harper's deficits were good solid Conservative deficits that gave lots of tax breaks to the right people, namely the wealthy, the big banks, BigOil, and anybody who would donate a few bucks to the Conservatives. Trudeau's deficits are leftist and evil deficits.

[hobbyguy]

9 years of Harperites, 150 billion added to the national debt.

Average: 16.6 billion deficit per year..

That after Martin left them with a 13.8 bill surplus, a reduced national debt (which was WHAT put the Harperites in some sort of shape to deal with the recession), and a budget that carried them to their only decent surplus in the first year.

The big difference? Harper and crew bought a lot of votes with tax cuts that were ill advised, ergo, government revenues are short to provide the necessary services.

Tax hikes are coming, but now is not the time. 2018 budget is my guess. That would match up with what Martin and Chretien did.

The JT Liberals know they have a short window to deal with this. Current year on track for 19 billion deficit.

[Silverstarqueen]

Harper's deficits: 2009, 60Billion. 2010, 35B. 2011, 27B. 2012, 19B.
Trudeau's :2016 (eight months), 12B.

I prefer the deficits on the lower end. Sometimes they are necessary, but 60 B, 35B, 27B, these are too high and just cause more pain down the road.
The poll's question , as usual is impossible to answer so simply. The financial state of a country is very complex. with the sudden downturn in Alberta's economy, this is bound to affect the revenue, spending of a country.

Do you know what a global recession is? Do you know why Canada was the strongest country financially in the G8 under Harper?

Perhaps because CMHC, our taxpayer backed mortgage securities insurer allowed loans of over a trillion dollars? Yes, you and I are on the hook for every failed mortgage under CMHC. Is that fiscally responsible? The biggest bank baleout ever.

[Merry]

I've given up explaining it to them. It doesn't fit their narrative, so they ignore the facts, such as Harper being forced to run large deficits by the NDP and Liberals.

As the NDP have never been in power federally, it's a bit of a stretch to blame the deficit on them.

While I share your unhappiness with Trudeau's current deficit agenda (and did not vote for him), I would remind you that Thomas Mulcair was in favour of balancing the budget (and it cost him the election).

As for Harper, he may have done better than Trudeau when it came to managing the money, but he failed in every other respect. The man had no heart, and it was time for him to go.

Hopefully the Conservatives will replace him with someone who keeps an eye on our financial situation, while also remembering what life is like for the "average man/woman in the street" because, if they don't, Trudeau will win a second term. So, as I don't support Trudeau, I hope the Conservatives choose carefully.

[Merry]

It is perfectly true that Harper did run up some deficits, but it is also true that his deficits were nowhere near as large as Trudeau's.

It is also true that Trudeau said the deficit would be for infrastructure, yet we have seen very little of that so far, despite having a larger than anticipated deficit.

What IS the reason we have such a large unexpected deficit? Can one of you who are so quick to rush to Trudeau's defense please explain that?

[The Green Barbarian]

The JT Liberals know they have a short window to deal with this..

No they don't. All they know how to do is spend like drunken sailors. What a bunch of idiots.