Harper averaged about $17 billion a year in DEFICITS. This last budget needed up with a small deficit a bit over $1 billion. Sorry but I don't see Harper and his government as in any way exemplifying fiscal aptitude. The spending cuts decimated a number of Departments, including reducing DND funding to less than 1% of GDP and making it very hard to get service on EI claims for example. The cuts to GST and to corporate taxes crippled federal revenues. To fund government departments and programs adequately without running deficits is thus rendered very difficult unless taxes are raised. IMHO, the GST should go back to 7% in two stages and there should be a minor increase in the federal corporate tax rate.