With their display yesterday in the House of Commons, members of the opposition proved immune to the wisdom of responsible and effective government spending and strong fiscal management.

This January, Canada’s New Government was elected on a promise to families and taxpayers to:

• Bring accountability to government;
• Reduce taxes;
• Bring government spending under control; and
• Ensure that government programs provide value for money.

Promise made, promise kept. In addition to paying down the debt, Canada’s New Government identified streamlining opportunities and eliminated programs that were no longer serving their intended purpose, which did not meet the needs of Canadians, or did not provide value for money. For example:

• A smaller Cabinet saves Canadian taxpayers $47 million per year;
• Saving $13.9 million by not going forward with the High-Frequency Surface Radar project because access to the radio spectrum to operate this system is not available; and
• Paying down Canada’s national debt and reducing the taxpayer burden by $650 million.

While the Liberals are opposed to the Prime Minister's careful management of taxpayers' money, others are recognizing the importance of strong fiscal management:

• "By socking away the surplus rather than wasting it on Liberal-style giveaways and boondoggles, Mr. Harper is protecting the long-term fiscal health of this country." – The National Post, September 26, 2006
• "The Liberals knew only one way to handle tax dollars ... keep on spending and keep on reaching into our pockets when they needed a few more bucks. That culture appears to have changed. Finally." – The Winnipeg Sun, September 26, 2006
• "In an era when governing seems often to be more about placating interest groups than doing what is best with available resources, this week's assault on the debt is impressive. The fact that it was done by a minority government that aspires to a majority is astounding." – The Edmonton Journal, September 27, 2006
• "Ottawa is right to take a long, hard look at its spending. Both its priorities and the nation's needs have evolved." – The Globe and Mail, September 27, 2006
• "Paying down the debt is unmistakably a good thing." – The Montreal Gazette, September 27, 2006
• "A continuous process to evaluate priorities and cut or eliminate the budgets of lower priority and inefficient programs must be part of the way forward. This week's announcement offers a promising start." – Don Drummond, Chief Economist, TD Bank Financial Group