On the cattlemen I have mixed views. First, I think much of the entire BSE thing is hype. Second, I abhor the way in which the protectionists in the US use Congress and the Courts to nulify free trade. Third, the ineptitude demonstrated by the feds in dealing with the Americans almost certainly prolonged the problem. Fourth, a short term bailout might make up for that ineptitude. Fifth, the bailout went on too long. Sixth, all that said, it is nice to see someone other than Bombardier getting a trun at the federal teat.

On wait lists: parallel private care would have solved the wait list problem years ago for a lot less federal and provincial money.

I trust that is specific enough.

In the last fiscal year, federal program expenses jumped by a dramatic $21.3 billion or 15 per cent compared with one year earlier.

15%

With inflation around 2.5% that means an across the board real increase of 12.5%. It is a wonder there is a surplus at all with the Liberals banging up program spending that dramaticaly.

Now, think for a moment, if the feds had kept spending increases to inflation plus a couple of points the surplus would have been on the order of 15 billion.

Goodale is swift to say that the 1.5 billion which was still in the cookie jar after the fawcet was turned off would be slapped, slapped I say, on the 499 billion dollar national debt.

“Ouch” said the debt,”stop it you’re killing me. Another 200 years of this and I’ll be gone.”

Here’s your spending spree.
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