🚀 go-pugleaf

"The Doctor" <doctor@doctor.nl2k.ab.ca> wrote in message 
news:j14dmm$rck$1@gallifrey.nk.ca...
> In article <20110731-144725.889.0@abc.shawnews.vc.shawcable.net>,
> abc  <abc@a123.ca> wrote:
>>Canada's budget deficit narrows
>>
>>July 29, 2011
>>
>>OTTAWA - Canada's budget deficit shrank in April and May from the same
>>period a year earlier as revenues increased by 2.9%, the Finance
>>Department said Friday.
>>
>>The federal government shortfall for the first two months of fiscal 2011
>>-12 was $3.3-billion, down from a deficit of $4.43-billion for April and
>>May last year.
>>
>>For April of this year, the deficit totalled $442-million, down from
>>$2.44-billion a year earlier, while the government had a $2.86-billion
>>shortfall in May, compared with $1.99-billion in May 2010.
>>
>>Revenues during those two month rose by $1.1-billion to $38.3-billion,
>>reflecting gains from personal taxes (up $1.4-billion, or 7.8%) and
>>corporate taxes (up $400-million, or 10%), as well as employment
>>insurance premiums (up $300-million, or 8.5%.
>>
>>Those increases were partly offset by lower revenues from the goods and
>>services tax.
>>
>>Meanwhile, program expenses declined by $700-million, or 2%, mainly the
>>result of lower transfer payments.
>>
>>In its June 6 budget, the government trimmed its deficit forecast for the
>>current year and said it would eliminate its deficit ahead of schedule.
>>
>>Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said that following a spending review the
>>government "will achieve $4-billion in annual savings and allow the
>>government to return to budget balance by 2014-15, one year earlier than
>>previously planned."
>>
>>In the pre-election March budget, Mr. Flaherty had forecast the deficit
>>would be erased by 2015-16.
>>
>>For 2010-11, preliminary estimates put the shortfall at $36.2-billion,
>>down from the previous forecast of $40.5-billion. The government expects
>>a 2011-12 deficit of $32.3-billion.
>>
>
> Can the auditor general please verify?

That's not what the AG does; they examine program spending.

Also, the numbers are produced by the Department of Finance, which is 
apolitical.