[Yogi]

-- but after the budget is balanced by 2015.

Yah, and maybe we'll vote for you in 4 years,but after the budget is balanced!

[OnTheIce]

Yogi Yogi:

-- but after the budget is balanced by 2015.

Yah, and maybe we'll vote for you in 4 years,but after the budget is balanced!

See, if Harper said he'd do all these promises now, he'd be labeled "irresponsible" and "reckless"...we're in a deficit, how can you promise billions instantly?

However, Iggy promises billions of new spending.

[DerbyX]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Yogi Yogi:

-- but after the budget is balanced by 2015.

Yah, and maybe we'll vote for you in 4 years,but after the budget is balanced!

See, if Harper said he'd do all these promises now, he'd be labeled "irresponsible" and "reckless"...we're in a deficit, how can you promise billions instantly?

However, Iggy promises billions of new spending.

Paid for by a corp tax increase. Harper can raise taxes to in order to pay for his spending initiatives. See this is where we run into problems concerning the deficit. Harper wants to claim innocence over deficits yet be the hero and slash taxes.

[andyt]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

I don't think they're aimed at the poor, I think they're aimed at the middle/working class families that are barely making ends meet.

Having spent the last 6 months in an arena with my son, I can tell you for sure that parents are very aware of these tax credits which helps them offset the cost of our "national game".

On one hand, you want the Government to give the parents money to make their own choices but then you want to fund childcare....taking the childcare decision away from the parents.

I'm sure the middle class parents you're hanging with are very aware of the credit. Not because they're barely making ends meet, as you say, but because they're comfortable enough to put their kid into hockey anyway, and this represents a nice little bonus for them.

Childcare would be like education - we don't give parents money so they can go to the private school of their choice either. We fund the school. But as far as any tax deductions go, let people do what they want with the money. I don't want a lot of deductions in the tax system anyway. But it seems to me a child tax deduction makes sense. Just like a dependent spouse.

[Brenda]

Why doesn't the government subsidize the sports, rather than the parents? If you make admission fees lower (say $20 to $50/mo), low/middle income parents would be able to get their kids into sports too.

[OnTheIce]

DerbyX DerbyX:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Yogi Yogi:

-- but after the budget is balanced by 2015.

Yah, and maybe we'll vote for you in 4 years,but after the budget is balanced!

See, if Harper said he'd do all these promises now, he'd be labeled "irresponsible" and "reckless"...we're in a deficit, how can you promise billions instantly?

However, Iggy promises billions of new spending.

Paid for by a corp tax increase. Harper can raise taxes to in order to pay for his spending initiatives. See this is where we run into problems concerning the deficit. Harper wants to claim innocence over deficits yet be the hero and slash taxes.

Derby, in all fairness, Iggy's platform isn't costed properly nor will a coporate tax increase pay for the billions in promises he has committed to.

The Liberals do have some good ideas, but the costing of their platform is vauge at best.

[DerbyX]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Derby, in all fairness, Iggy's platform isn't costed properly nor will a coporate tax increase pay for the billions in promises he has committed to.

The Liberals do have some good ideas, but the costing of their platform is vauge at best.

How is it not costed porperly? Can you show specifics? It seems about as costed properly as you can get in a federal platform.

[OnTheIce]

DerbyX DerbyX:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Derby, in all fairness, Iggy's platform isn't costed properly nor will a coporate tax increase pay for the billions in promises he has committed to.

The Liberals do have some good ideas, but the costing of their platform is vauge at best.

How is it not costed porperly? Can you show specifics? It seems about as costed properly as you can get in a federal platform.

Like most platforms, it's costed based on projections & estimates of the future value of their plans to cut. They claim to be "saving" money and will raise money by having a "future wireless spectrum auction".

The Liberals are set to raise taxes in a few ways, that's clear...but are they raising taxes enough to cover their spending? Only time will tell. Some don't agree that their plan ads up....and I'm sure they same will be said about the other guys too.

[andyt]

Both party's platforms are just election promises. If you think they're a serious budget...

[DerbyX]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

DerbyX DerbyX:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Derby, in all fairness, Iggy's platform isn't costed properly nor will a coporate tax increase pay for the billions in promises he has committed to.

The Liberals do have some good ideas, but the costing of their platform is vauge at best.

How is it not costed porperly? Can you show specifics? It seems about as costed properly as you can get in a federal platform.

Like most platforms, it's costed based on projections & estimates of the future value of their plans to cut. They claim to be "saving" money and will raise money by having a "future wireless spectrum auction".

The Liberals are set to raise taxes in a few ways, that's clear...but are they raising taxes enough to cover their spending? Only time will tell. Some don't agree that their plan ads up....and I'm sure they same will be said about the other guys too.

Your assessment isn't exactly enough to claim they haven't costed their platform properly. It just seems to say "The Libs can't predict the future". You're right. We might suffer some unforseen disater like Japan which takes the economy or requires billions to fix. As I said, its costed about as properly as you can get for a general platform.

Costing the cheapest price for the F35s (even if you support their purchase) however is a recipe for deeper deficits. The CPCs greatest weakness comes from not costing their justice ambitions. The legal system is a very expensive budget consideration. I think they aren't costing it because they know the numbers are really high and it will show. They are relying on being seen as "tough on crime", generally a historically popular position (who doesn't want to punish wrong doers) without having to explain to people what it will cost them.

Mulroney did the same thing on defence. He wanted to appear strong on defence ..... until he got the bill.