Pass the budget

Ask four economic “experts” what they thought of yesterday’s federal budget tabled by Finance minister Jim Flaherty and you’ll likely get four different responses.
Depending on your point of view, the budget either was a great compromise designed to rescue Canada from the clutches of recession, a stunning capitulation by a prime minister desperate to cling to power at whatever cost, or an utter disaster by resurrecting the era of big deficits after a decade of hard-fought surpluses.
While only time will tell if the Harper government’s fiscal blueprint was the right move at this point in our country’s history, what we don’t have is the luxury of time to waste in partisan squabbling. The budget is not perfect, nor will it please everyone, but at least it offers enough of a start to get Canada moving forward rather than sitting stalled at the side of the road as has been the case for the past two months.
With the NDP and Bloc Quebecois already saying they’ll vote against the budget, the future of the Harper government now rests with the Liberals, who appear poised to make the right move by sparing Canadians the uncertainty—and delay—of an untried coalition or the unpalatable prospect of a fourth election in five years that’s unlikely to change the current political landscape anyway.
Sure, the Liberals will milk all the partisan shots they can, already gloating this morning that the good elements of the budget were forced on the Tories by a united opposition. But if Mr. Harper compromised, then so must the Grits. Yes, they’ve proposed an amendment that would require the government to table periodic fiscal updates on March 26, June 23, and Sept. 10, but that seems to be a reasonable demand to ensure the budgetary measures are being implemented—and are working.
The political dance will continue in Ottawa—on a shaky floor inherent of a minority government. For now, though, what’s best for Canada is that the House of Commons pass the budget so the real work gets started on solving an economic crisis that seems to be worsening by the day.