As we draw near to the showdown, on Tuesday, Stephen Harper continues to show that his only real interest, is in keeping his job, at any costs. To begin with, this man in the Oct 14 election said that deficit spending was irresponsible, was a major threat to our economic stability.

He continued that attack phrase until shortly after his fiscal whiz kid, Flaherty released his economic forecast. That was after Harper unveiled his Economic Team, that would strengthen our Economy, and keep us out of any recession.

Then the opposition parties, representing over 60% of the voters, stood their ground. Suddenly Mr. Harper back tracked on his more controversial attempts to limit political free speech, then he went on an extended holiday, to sort of try and let things cool down. Course he proceeded to make as many political appointments as possible, just in case he got his butt kicked later on.

Now, from attacking the opposition parties who pledged deficit spending to help ease the looming economic crisis, he is suddenly about to become the SPENDING KING OF GOVERNMENT.  Well, isn’t that what his hero George Bush did?  Didn’t work for him, and one hopes won’t work for Harper either, in garnering public support.

On Thursday, a senior government official said the federal government will run a $64-billion deficit in the next two fiscal years in the Harper government’s plan to provide a stimulus for the Canadian economy.

It is a stark contrast to the small surplus the Conservatives predicted for the next fiscal year in their economic update just two months ago. ( source – CBC News )

I happen to believe that deficit spending during tough times is proper, but I have to question the quick turn around here, by Mr. Harper. I mean come on, from being adamant that we wouldn’t need it, to even forecasting a surplus just two months ago, one has to ask how did they make such a mistake?

If they believed that a surplus was in the cards, how did they miss it being so wrong? What exactly changed in those few months, that suddenly we are now being faced with a record deficit spending spree?

Could it be that he was about to be defeated in parliament?

Time and again, I have asked, what exactly has caused this downturn in Canada. I mean I understand the reasons for it in the United States, but not world wide. I can see how the high flying price of Oil made things more expensive. Now I can see that having a major slow down, but to put so many banks at the verge of failure? That I don’t see, even if the USA is the biggest consumer nation, is the entire world so dependent on their purchases?

How can things change so quickly too. I mean two months ago Mr. Harper & Flaherty were adamant that we would be seeing a modest surplus for 2009, if not for several years ahead. Now suddenly, just TWO MONTHS LATER,  they are pledging to spend about $64 Billion TAXPAYER.

Bit more than just a ‘course correction’ don’t you think?

I mean it goes against everything Mr. Harper campaigned on, that got him a second term, thankfully in a minority. So how can we trust anything he says? I mean he was quite adamant during the election in October, that deficit spending was wrong. He blasted Dion, Layton, and called them reckless, dangerous, yet now here he is, about to spend SIXTY FOUR BILLION OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

Just who really is the reckless, irresponsible one?