10 June 2011

Harris Centre economic forum: the media coverage

The Telegram’s James Macleod had a decent front page summary of the Harris Centre’s discussion of economic issues facing the province and the subsequent discussion.

The CBC has a super short version that is already bumped off the front page of its website in favour of stories like one on a baby bear in Terra Nova park, a batch of fake 20s making the rounds on the northeast Avalon and an earth-shattering story about two idiots who stole metal for scrap and found out it was worth more than they thought when they wound up in court for the theft.  Talk about if it bleeds, leads.

Anyway, for those in tune with evidently less important issues – how does an multi-billion dollar economic mess compare to two scrap metal dorks? -  Wade Locke’s presentation isn’t on line yet but here is the slide likely to be causing a few stomach’s to turn in knots. 

It’s Locke’s deficit forecast based on current trends and current government policy:

deficit

Within a decade the current account deficit will be running at record levels if the current administration carries on with its policies. We can expect more of the same from the incumbents since finance minister Tom Marshall is already trying to pretend that the mess doesn’t exist or that he has things under control. 

Unfortunately for the rest of us,  it does and he doesn’t.

- srbp -