Chances that the Conservative government of Stephen Harper will be able to keep its elections pledge of balancing the budget by 2014-2015 look slim, the Parliamentary Budget Office said in a report, as well as a number of private-sector economists. At fault is the slowing pace of the Canadian economy, whose growth prospects have been revised down by the PBO. The Office now expects Ottawa to run a deficit of $18.7 billion in 2014-2015, $13.1-billion the following fiscal year and $7.3-billion in 2016-2017.
FILED UNDER: budget deficit
