Originally entitled more dryly "2008-09 Canada Annual Financial Report - Budgetary Balance just released", I went for the punchier headline and this tell-all graphic in deference to Halloween:

Regular readers here will recall that I've been saying that Harper had already plunged the country into deficit and new debt since before the last election, back when Harper stated categorically that "we will not be running a deficit". The annual report reiterates what we've been saying here all along.

You can read the full annual report (PDF) at: http://www.fin.gc.ca/afr-rfa/2009/afr-rfa09-eng.pdf; the HTML version will be published "as soon as possible" at: http://www.fin.gc.ca/afr-rfa/2009/afr-rfa09-eng.asp

Harper claims he'll fix this problem without raising taxes or cutting programs. No one in the media or economic community believes him, nor should you or I.

We already know that Harper hates government and taxes so just keep this in mind: If he ever gets a majority, what programs will Harper slash?