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    Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to table budget March 21

    OTTAWA – Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says he’ll deliver the federal budget on March 21.

    Maclean's
    <p>Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has gone public in a deeply personal interview with The Globe and Mail to explain some recent changes to his appearance. To quell concerns that his face has grown bloated and puffy and he’s gained a significant amount of weight, Flaherty gave the interview, explaining that he has a rare skin disease, called bullous pemphigoid, that requires strong steroid treatment. Flaherty is shown responding to a question during question period in the House of Commons Monday January 28, 2013 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld</p>

    Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has gone public in a deeply personal interview with The Globe and Mail to explain some recent changes to his appearance. To quell concerns that his face has grown bloated and puffy and he’s gained a significant amount of weight, Flaherty gave the interview, explaining that he has a rare skin disease, called bullous pemphigoid, that requires strong steroid treatment. Flaherty is shown responding to a question during question period in the House of Commons Monday January 28, 2013 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

    OTTAWA – Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says he’ll deliver the federal budget on March 21.

    With restraint as the watchword for the Harper government, it’s unlikely the budget will have any goodies.

    It likely will be a stay-the-course document, keeping things on track toward Flaherty’s forecast of a balanced budget by 2015.

    It comes at a time of anemic economic growth.

    Real GDP grew at an annualized rate of 0.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

    However, prospects brightened a bit with the latest employment report, which showed the economy created 51,000 new jobs in February.

    This morning on Macleans.ca, Erica Alini said there are three things to keep in mind about the announcement. 

    Also on our Econowatch blog, our resident economist Stephen Gordon explains what he’ll be watching for when the budget is tabled in the House.

     

    tags:2013 federal budget