Federal Budget: Business Community

Stephen Harper Dept: OTTAWA A penny-pinching Conservative government is loosening the reins on Canada s business community in a budget it says will position the country for unbridled commercial opportunity, according to The Chronicle Herald. Thursday s federal budget, the seventh since Stephen Harper took office, is the first with an overtly pro-trade and resource development bent and a dearth of voter-friendly goodies. A majority mandate with three full years before the next election will do that for a conservative-minded prime minister and uPDATED 5:33 a.m. Friday With an eye to the long game after years of politically attractive, minority budgets, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is trimming $5.2 billion in annual federal spending scrapping the money-losing penny in the process while raising the age of eligibility for old age security to 67 from 65, starting a decade from now. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.