Tony Clement, the Minister made famous for spreading $50 million of pork barrelling around his riding – while breaking almost every rule in the book – gave a finger-wagging lecture today to others about fiscal restraint.
And he left his facts at the door.
The Department of Finance’s Fiscal Reference Tables, clearly shows that Conservatives have a worse fiscal record in government than the NDP.
Since 1980, Conservatives at the provincial and federal level have balanced the books only 41% of the time, while the NDP balanced the books 48% of the time.
And let’s not forget the record of Liberal governments, who have balanced the books only 27% of the time, and the PQ who kept the books balanced just 29% of their years in government.
Perhaps the next time Mr. Clement chooses to lecture others on fiscal restraint, he will do his homework, first.
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|
Political party |
Years in surplus |
Number of Budgets |
Budgets in Deficit |
|
|
|
|
NDP |
47.7 % |
65 |
34 |
|
|
|
|
Conservative |
41.3 % |
172 |
101 |
|
|
|
|
Liberal |
26.6 % |
109 |
80 |
|
|
|
|
PQ |
28.6 % |
14 |
10 |
|
|
|
Source: 1980-2011; Government of Canada, "Fiscal reference Tables" (October 2011) |
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