Wow. If that were the Iraq war budget of the US it would be a drop in the bucket! Interesting that the NDP is the most conservative spender!
Cuts needed to support election promises: economist
Last Updated: Friday, May 11, 2007 | 4:10 PM ET
CBC News
With 10 days to go in the election campaign, Manitoba's main political parties have reached a milestone: their combined spending promises have broken the $2-billion mark.
Michael Benarroch, chair of the department of economics at the University of Winnipeg, has been adding up the parties' promises up to Friday.
"If you include the tax cuts, the NDP have promised around $400 million, so they're in last place right now," he said.
"Liberals are in second place with $876 million, and the Conservatives are running first with $888 million."
Benarroch doesn't think any of the parties would be able to afford to implement all their promises in a first mandate.
"If you look at the statements that have been coming out of all the parties, they've all been talking about what they're going to spend on, where they're going to cut taxes, and none of them have talked about the programming that's going to change or things that they want to cut and replace," he said.
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If the parties tried to make good on all the pledges right away without making cuts, Benarroch says Manitoba would be in a deficit situation.
Manitoba's Balanced Budget, Debt Repayment and Taxpayer Accountability Act provides for financial penalties for ministers if the province incurs a negative balance, except in cases of economic or environmental disaster or war.
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