A Billion here...

A billion there - pretty soon we are talking about real money.

I am currently sitting in the budget lock-up waiting for the Finance Minister to start speaking, though given my briefing package included his speech to the House, I already know what he is going to say.

The room is filled with everyone who is an expert about every minute slice of the policy world. Most of them are pretty ambivalent about what their "goodies" are. Many of them are shocked at what they thought they were going to get. A select few of them are downright pissed about new taxes being levied against their industry. One of them is crying in the corner - but she represents the CCBA - the Canadian Cry Babies Association.

There are a lot of problems with the budget - but more than anything else, what isn't in it is bothering me:

G.S.T. Cut? Hello? Where is it? Have they met any of their priorities?

There is nothing for the implementation of the Accountability Act. That is going to cost hundreds of millions of dollars before they charge anyone.

There is all kinds of money for renewable fuels, but no way to deliver those fuels to consumers so they can buy more expensive technology that allows them to drive cleaner cars. There is no point in offering an incentive to purchase an E-85 ethanol or celluosic fueled car when you can't get the gas at the pump. Well, let me correct myself and say - there is no ENVIRONMENTAL point to doing it.

There are taxes on cars that I can buy without those taxes and free of import duties in the United States.

There is 39 billion dollars to fix the fiscal imbalance - a problem which didn't even exist two years ago. Of course, Quebec politicians are unanimous in their support for it. Shock-ing.

On the news, they will say "this is an election budget." Sorry, but all budgets are election budgets.