Politics can be confusing, especially when it’s hard to tell how one guy differs from another. I’ve written before how we don’t really know what Michael Ignatieff stands for and that Stephen Harper has shifted from tax-cutting Conservative to big spending prime minister, but in the most recent Canadian Business I took a closer look at just what the two leaders stand for in attempt to decide who’s better for business.
Really, there’s still no clear answer, but I’ve tried to at least lay out the relevant points and explain the differences (and similarities) between the two men. You can read the whole story here, but what struck me was just how troubled many of the people I spoke to were about the rising deficit. It seems as if that’s erased much of the pro-business moves Harper has done before the recession. It make sense how can the PM cut taxes and make business friendly policies when he has a mounting debt to pay down but it’s unlikely he’ll abandon his Conservative convictions all together if he stays in power. He also had to go into a deficit all the G20 countries committed to spending 2% of their GDP on stimulus initiatives and right now Canada’s deficit is about 3% of the GDP. Does this mean Harper has abandoned his Reformist ideals? Maybe. His old self would likely be shocked at how much his new self is spending on buying car companies and propping up other failing industries.
Anyway, check out the storyand please comment if you have anything to add.
Blogs & Comment
Who's best for business: Harper or Ignatieff
By Bryan Borzykowski
Politics can be confusing, especially when it’s hard to tell how one guy differs from another. I’ve written before how we don’t really know what Michael Ignatieff stands for and that Stephen Harper has shifted from tax-cutting Conservative to big spending prime minister, but in the most recent Canadian Business I took a closer look at just what the two leaders stand for in attempt to decide who’s better for business.
Really, there’s still no clear answer, but I’ve tried to at least lay out the relevant points and explain the differences (and similarities) between the two men. You can read the whole story here, but what struck me was just how troubled many of the people I spoke to were about the rising deficit. It seems as if that’s erased much of the pro-business moves Harper has done before the recession. It make sense how can the PM cut taxes and make business friendly policies when he has a mounting debt to pay down but it’s unlikely he’ll abandon his Conservative convictions all together if he stays in power. He also had to go into a deficit all the G20 countries committed to spending 2% of their GDP on stimulus initiatives and right now Canada’s deficit is about 3% of the GDP. Does this mean Harper has abandoned his Reformist ideals? Maybe. His old self would likely be shocked at how much his new self is spending on buying car companies and propping up other failing industries.
Anyway, check out the storyand please comment if you have anything to add.