Good News, Better News and Really Good News:

Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, announced today that the new Conservative government has recorded a $13.2 billion surplus. This should put to rest the fearmongering by the Liberals in the last election that a Conservative goverment's spending would bring the country back into a deficit. "If you elect a Conservative government, they will take us back into deficit..." came the call throughout the last campaign. In reality, our economy continues to grow at record levels after giving our military a much needed boost, sending millions of dollars in aid to help rebuild Afghanistan, cutting the GST by 1%, safely evacuating Canadians from war-torn Lebanon, compensating victims of hepatitus C and launching an inquiry into the long neglected Air India bombing - PM Harper still managed to post a record surplus.

The news got even better when Minister Flaherty announced that all the money will go to paying down the debt. This Conservative government has done more, in a shorter time, than any government in recent history. When you subtract the summer months when Parliament was not sitting, this government has had less than 4 months in which to govern. During that time they have introduced the Accountability Act to clean up government. They have issued the first checks from the new Universal Child Benefit. They have cracked down on violent criminals and repeat offenders. Their agenda and its execution have been so focused that the opposition has been reduced to commenting on what the Conservatives haven't fixed yet (see opposition response to the Throne Speech and PM Harper's address to the UN). When they can't find fault with what you say, they trot out another paper tiger and blame the Conservatives for not slaying it yet!

The really good news was delivered by Treasury Board President, John Baird. His department has been able to trim over $1 billion dollars in fat from budget spending on programs that were inefficient and ineffective. One of the first items to feel the blade was Cabinet itself which was downsized under PM Harper to produce a savings of $47 million. Other savings were found under items that had money allocated, but which was never spent. Former PM Martin made (and re-made) so many spending announcements that they must have lost track of what they promised to whom! CBC news reports that "The single largest saving, at nearly $380 million, will be made by reclaiming unspent money." "We have uncovered numerous examples of waste and duplication," Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said.

Opposition criticism was typical, 'I can't believe you're cutting programs when you're sitting on a $13.2 billion dollar surplus!' Thankfully those holding the purse strings in the Conservative government have a better sense of public responsibility and believe that you don't keep throwing money at problems that don't exist. Good job guys, I'm anxious to see what the new fall agenda holds in store for our country. Keep making your promises come true and the voters might just reward you with greater responsibility next time.

-TruBlue