Conservative leader Stephen Harper said that a Conservative Government would be "modest" spending cuts to eliminate the deficit more rapidly than expected in its budget on March 22.
"The operational savings that we are looking for are modest," Harper said during a campaign in Acton Vale, Quebec, judgment Sunday morning.
"$ 80 Billion of operating over a period of three years, we're going to shave five percent offshore," he said.
Harper has been challenged by journalists to provide details of reductions needed to accelerate the reduction of the deficit while paying for the new tax cuts announced during the campaign, but would not provide details of the expenditure.
"I told you before, a couple of areas on which we focus." This is what people expect from the Government. "To keep costs under control of operating and to continue to provide services," he said, adding that the reductions would not affect the "fundamental" programs.
"Someone who says that you can't find no money in Ottawa without people cutting vital services is simply living in a fantasy world." This is not how the Government works. There are inefficiencies and it is your work constantly to find them. "This is what we do and that is what we will continue to do," Harper said.
On Saturday, said that a Conservative Government would reduce operating expenditure by attrition, noting that 80,000 federal officials are set to retire in the next few years to find the efficiency in the Harper Government computer systems.
Michael Ignatieff accused Harper of hiding "a $ 11 billion hole" in its platform by retailer does not budget expenditures. Harper hit Sunday to comments of the leader of the Liberal Party.
"You want to discuss the costs of fantasy, Michael Ignatieff has done in this campaign 28 $ billion promises which do not appear in its platform," said Harper, pointing to a deal HST for Quebec, bridge repairs in Montréal, a program national druget of money for the "professional arenas" and a "high-speed train".
Ignatieff said the Liberals would be open to contribute funds for a project arena, in Quebec City however last week, has said he favours the service train at high speed between Ontario and Quebec, the country does not have it now.
Harper was also behind the decision of his party to buy 65 F - 35 joint strike fighter jets, saying that a memorandum of understanding with the manufacturer means that Canada will be free from any increase in the costs of research and development.
"On the F-35, I think that we have been clear: have been detailed briefings of the Department of national defence on this subject, there is a memorandum of understanding that is displayed (online)". "."We are sheltered from research and development costs, Harper said.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office report last week raised new concerns regarding costs of fighter aircraft. The Conservative Government has said that the pricetag for each jet would be $ 75 million, with 200 to 300 million total annual maintenance costs.
Harper said to journalists in French that the agreements mean the U.S. will pay additional development costs and Canada will take delivery of the aircraft at a fixed price.
The GAO report, explains development costs will push the price of the jets over 120 million (US) each, and others have estimated that the costs are higher. Monitoring of the parliamentary budget of the Canada reported this year that cost of jets during their life cycle of 30 years will be a billion more than the figures published by the Ministry of defence.
The industry already has the jet contract, Harper said.
"It is a good case for the country, the fantasy is the other side. That somehow they will come with some thin air aircraft and they don't even know what that plane, they will still buy airplanes, they say, but they do not know aircraft and they have not any agreement"he says.
The name of a former Liberal Prime Minister was mentioned when it Harper was asked why he did not refer to Pierre Trudeau by name when he compared the promises of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff to liberal policies of the 1970s.
"Comparison of obviously, I'm getting is the fact that we all know, in 1972 and 1974, when we had a Liberal Government that relied on the NDP for ongoing support, they did spend money"."," leading to high deficits, Harper said.
"Mr. Trudeau died some time ago...". I think it's probably a little unfair to bash someone in the Tomb. "He is not here to defend himself," Harper continues. As you know, Mr. Trudeau have a different philosophy of the Government, a philosophy of the high-spending, a centralizing philosophy, and this is not the philosophy of this (conservative) Government."
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