OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin attempted Tuesday to distinguish himself from the free-spending ways of his predecessor Jean Chretien in the face of the $250-million sponsorship scandal that caused a dramatic plunge in Liberal party support on the eve of a federal election.
In what could only be called a most unusual pre-election budget for a Liberal government, Martin has intentionally foregone the traditional practice of launching pricey new spending programs or doling out hefty tax cuts in favour of a low-key, fiscally prudent program to convince Canadians he is best equipped to manage their money and run the country.
But Tuesday's budget stands in sharp contrast to the long list of promises that he spent the past year campaigning on to win the Liberal leadership and subsequently repeated in last month's speech from the throne.
From a new deal for cities, to shorter waiting lists for hospital patients, more money for aboriginals and better equipment for soldiers -- the budget delivers little on any of those fronts.
Instead, it focuses almost exclusively on the gross mismanagement of taxpayers' money vowing to put in place tough new measures to clean up the mess the former Liberal regime left behind.
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