It did not exactly roll out the money trolley but the federal government last week did put Canadians on notice that it soon will have some new money to spend, once government books are balanced.
And agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief said he will fight to make sure agriculture gets its fair share, although he was making no promises.
“When we in agriculture come forward with ideas on strategic investments … we’ll have a good hearing and I’ll certainly go to bat for them,” Vanclief told a Sept. 23 news conference after the opening of Parliament.
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“But let’s realize we have to stay the course. We are not going to go on a spending spree.”
Earlier, in the speech from the throne read by governor general RomŽo LeBlanc to open Parliament, the government confirmed that no later than March 1999, it will be running budget surpluses.
And it reaffirmed an election promise to spend half of future surpluses to reduce taxes and begin to pay down the debt. The other half will be spent on new or expanded programs.
“The government has regained the ability to address priorities of Canadians while living within its means,” said the throne speech. “It is now in the position to make strategic investments in our children and our youth, our health, our communities and our knowledge and creativity while continuing to improve the nation’s finances.”
Economists have speculated for months that the fiscal year 1997-98 will be the last deficit year after more than three decades of red ink.
Surplus of billions
Next year, for the first time in three decades, there will be a surplus that many predict will grow into tens of billions of dollars.
After three years of sharp program and public service cuts, it allowed the government last week to finally announce that the war on the deficit is all but won and it can begin to think of restoring or expanding some services in priority areas like health care and youth employment.
The only specific commitment to agriculture was a promise that the government will increase support for development of biotechnology in the sector.
But Vanclief said the spectre of a budget surplus has sent many groups into a frenzy of speculation about how to get their share and how to use it.
“There is no question that people are lining up, organizations are lining up with the anticipation they are going to be the beneficiaries,” he told reporters.
He said expectations should not get too high.
He would not speculate on how much of a “fiscal dividend” might flow to agricultural programs or which programs he would like to see created or expanded.
“It would be irresponsible of me to speculate now on that.”
