General

2010 budget was toughest yet: PM

Stephen Harper says Ottawa will balance its books “in the medium term”

Of all the budgets Stephen Harper has overseen since becoming prime minister, he says this year’s was the toughest. “The bottom line is this,” Harper said of his fiscal plan, “we keep delivering the stimulus programs this year . . . and we plan to return to balance in the medium term.” The Conservatives have already revealed Thursday’s budget won’t contain much in the way of spending changes, but Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page has suggested they will have to raise taxes eventually if they want to eliminate the deficit. So far, the Tories have ruled out tax hikes entirely and the Liberal haven’t said what they’d do differently.

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