The statement: "My figures, and the possibility of doing them, are supported by the Bank of Montreal, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Global Insight and I can add several others."--Conservative Leader Stephen Harper.
The reality: Mr. Harper was comparing his spending plan with that of the NDP, defending his calculations as being in line with independent economists. While it's true that the Bank of Montreal and Global Insight were able to produce viable spend-and-tax scenarios that are similar to the Conservatives', economists for both organizations said it would be extremely difficult over the long run to put these theories into place without cuts or deficits.
The reality: Mr. Harper was comparing his spending plan with that of the NDP, defending his calculations as being in line with independent economists. While it's true that the Bank of Montreal and Global Insight were able to produce viable spend-and-tax scenarios that are similar to the Conservatives', economists for both organizations said it would be extremely difficult over the long run to put these theories into place without cuts or deficits.