Here for a good time, not a long time

In a speech to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned city officials they’ll soon have to learn to live without federal stimulus dollars. “At the G20 meeting here in Toronto next month, major economies will be looking at exit strategies from their stimulus measures,” Harper said. “Canada, as has been the case throughout this crisis, will lead the way.” Earlier this week, the mayors of Canada’s biggest cities urged Ottawa to extend temporary stimulus measures enacted during the recession and to keep pumping cash into their beleaguered infrastructure budgets. But Harper’s response leaves little doubt the Conservatives have their eyes set on reining in government spending. “People can’t live on adrenaline and economies can’t live on stimulus,” he said. “We must return to the black, not drown in the red.”

CTV