Your lack of optimism will be noted on your Purple File

Federation of Bradley Georges President Bradley George had some insufficiently optimistic and Premier-Positive things to say about Our Dear Budget, as reported on Friday by Everton McLean of the Telegram:

Bradley George, the provincial representative for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said the budget did little to spur small businesses, despite some programs aimed directly at them. "It's not a bad budget, but it's not really a small business budget either," he said.

Mr. George's lack of optimism was duly noted by the Finance Minister, who is quoted by VOCM today, in a story sadly not posted online, confuting the traducer, and suggesting that President George really, really, really ought to read the budget a second time, and think about what he's done.

Something to that effect.

Meanwhile, the crack Finance Minister is certainly not lacking for enthusiasm, telling McLean of the Telegram:

"Let's not forget that we have on the horizon three major projects. We have the Vale Inco project which is started now but will ramp up in 2010. We have the Hebron and we also have the Lower Churchill, where we're in the environmental assessment process. These are big projects other provinces don't have. We're quite comfortable where we are."

Funny how those megaprojects, even the imaginary ones, or the ones you used to be able to drive trucks through, tend to be in one province or another.

Even funnier, how the environmental assessment for the so-called Lower Churchill is now considered a milestone... Wasn't always that way.