A selection of links and commentary by experts reacting to Ontario's 2009-2010 Budget. So far, The Conference Board of Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, BMO Nesbitt Burns, TD Bank, CIBC World Markets, Scotia Economics ...   more »

"It's a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak outlook," said CME President, Jayson Myers in response to the survey results. "I believe the real economic impacts are still to be felt, but it is encouraging news that the economic decline appears to be slowing."    more »

Now if the governnment could apply accrual accounting, then taxpayers today could acquire the trucks, the trucks show up as a government asset on the books, and taxpayers this year get "charged" $200,000" for their use. Taxpayers next year, who are also enjoying the benefit of the trucks, also get charged $200,000, which must come from their taxes, and so on until the trucks have no asset value left. That, many think, is a more fair way for governments to acquire and pay for public goods which benefit many generations of taxpayers. So why don't we change the way Parliament accounts for things? You'll love this answer: Because that would require changing the Constitution...

   more »

Parliament's independent budget watchdog says the economy is in much worse shape [pdf] than Finance Minister Jim Flaherty predicted just weeks ago when he tabled the 2009 federal budget. Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page told the House of Commons finance committee that the current recession will be "sharper" [pdf] than the one Flaherty spoke of when he tabled the budget on Jan. 27 and that means deficits that will be deeper and thousands more Canadians are likely to lose their jobs.

   more »

WaPo media columnist Howard Kurtz writes: "Breaking with tradition and using a prepared list, Obama did not recognize journalists with The Washington Post, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal or USA Today -- the last four of which were not picked at last month's news conference, either. Instead, he called on reporters for Ebony magazine, Stars and Stripes, Univision, and Agence France-Presse . . ."

   more »

Consumer bankruptcies in Canada spiked sharply in January, the beginning of what credit experts warn could be a wave of bankruptcies this year that are the inevitable result of rapidly rising unemployment. More than 10,700 people in Canada declared themselves insolvent in January, an increase of 23.1% from the same month in 2008.

   more »

Rumour floated:

National Newswatch is reporting that Alex Himelfarb, the former clerk of the Privy Council and Canada's current Ambassador to Italy, will soon be the chief of staff to Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.

And shot down on Twitter by my colleage Glen McGregor:

"Rumor that former Clerk of Privy Council Alex Himelfarb will become Iggy's chief of staff is apparently not true.

National Bank Financial Group is out with its monthly "House Price Index" . The national number is always less important -- prices down year/year 2.35 % and month-to-month for February down 1.55% -- as the numbers for your neighbourhood.:

   more »

The Index of Consumer Confidence moved higher in March, climbing 2.7 points to 71.5 (2002 = 100). Respondents continue to indicate considerable concern about their families’ current and future financial situation. However, on the question of future employment opportunities in their communities, sentiments did improve, and, for the sixth consecutive month, a greater share of respondents indicated that now was a good time to make a major purchase.

   more »

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Spring Break will consist of two days in Jamaica. The PMO announced this evening that Harper will visit Jamaica for two days in April -- April 19-20.

On Monday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with the Honourable Dr. Kenneth Baugh, Jamaica’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. It was Baugh's first official visit to Canada.   more »