Plenty of targets in Tories’ deficit-fighting plan, but details are few

The Conservative government is keeping much of its deficit-fighting plan under wraps, even as details trickle out as to where the knife will fall.

Three months after the 2011 budget first stated that 12 federal organizations will cut a combined $2.6-billion over three years, many of them told The Globe and Mail they need more time before they can explain the details publicly.

On Monday, Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page reported he’s still waiting for answers as to how the government is implementing a spending freeze first announced in the 2010 budget – 15 months ago. He reported that while recent government documents show more than 6,000 positions will be eliminated over three years, that covers only about one-third of the promised spending cuts.
“Where is the plan? We haven’t seen it,” said Mr. Page in an interview.

The government is making much of its new pledge to find $4-billion in annual savings this year through a process called the “strategic and operating review,” led by Treasury Board President Tony Clement.

Mr. Clement said the government believes in the effectiveness of this approach. He backed away from the idea of hiking government user fees as part of the deficit fight, an idea he raised in a speech last week.

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Source: Globe & Mail