Benoit calls election talk “absurd”
Colin Budd - Staff Writer
The Liberals came away from their retreat in Sudbury, ON this week claiming the country is heading to an election as soon as possible. Leaving Vegreville-Wainwright MP Leon Benoit less than pleased to have the country heading back to the polls for the fourth time in five [...]

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Bank of Canada projects gradual growth
Katie Ryan - Staff Writer
The common phrases uttered repeatedly – “tough economic times” or “economic downturn” –  won’t be on everyone’s lips for long according to the Bank of Canada.
In their July 2009 monetary policy report released last week, the country’s economic downturn is about to see renewed growth in [...]

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Paul Grigaitis - Staff Writer
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff have agreed to a deal that would prevent a summer election, according to several media reports yesterday morning.
The deal includes the creation of a panel to review employment insurance policies and also an opposition day in the House of Commons this fall [...]

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Paul Grigaitis - Staff Writer
 
The federal government’s proposed new credit card rules will help consumers understand better the various charges credit card companies apply and will also help combat the recession, said Vegreville-Wainwright MP Leon Benoit.
The government proposes summary boxes on contracts and applications that highlight key features such as interest rates and fees,  advanced [...]

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COLIN BUDD Staff writer
Pundits predicted major spending and a commitment to stimulating the economy before Tuesday’s budget was tabled. And they weren’t disappointed.
The Conservatives rolled out their Economic Action Plan, which calls for providing almost $30 billion in support to the Canadian economy this year. 
The budget focussed on areas like infrastructure, tax reduction – $20 [...]

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COLIN BUDD Staff writer
It didn’t take a crystal ball to guess that Monday’s throne speech would be dominated by talk about the economy. 
The Conservatives announced there would be a stimulus package through tax cuts and spending from the government and encouraging the private sector to continue spending. They also doubled their infrastructure spending. 
“This is for [...]

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KATIE RYAN Staff writer
Canadians are in for a short, rough ride where the economy is concerned, according to the Bank of Canada. 
This past Thursday the Bank of Canada released their updated Monetary Policy Report Update, noting that since their October report the global economy has deteriorated, but will kick into recovery mode thanks to interest [...]

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COLIN BUDD Staff writer
Canadian Agricluture Minister Gerry Ritz says he is fighting for Canadian farmers during World Trade Organization meetings in Geneva this week. 
Earlier this week, WTO chair Crawford Falconer released a revised draft text on agriculture. The WTO says it was what Falconer feels will be agreed upon by all sides in terms of [...]

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Colin Budd - Staff Writer
The economy is likely to be the dominant topic when Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers the throne speech tomorrow in Ottawa.
But for Battlefords-Lloydminster MP Gerry Ritz, who doubles as Agriculture Minister,  farm issues are never far from his mind.
“We’ll continue to explore new markets, I’ve got several trips lined up over [...]

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COLIN BUDD Staff writer
The Saskatchewan Government is using its vast surplus to ease the burden of income taxes for residents and knock nearly a couple billion dollars off the deficit.
The financial plan was the highlight of Premier Brad Wall’s Throne Speech on Wednesday touting the largest single income tax reduction in Saskatchewan history among the [...]

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