Airdrie-Banff, MP Blake Richards, started off with as good of news as he could when it came to the Federal Budget that was released on Tuesday (February 27) in Ottawa.

Trying to hone in on something positive was challenging for Richards, but he did come up with one. "Last year for the book itself, the cover (for the budget), was $220,000 and this year they only spent $598 on the cover... so they saved and that's all I got."

Unfortunately, Richards shares the theme of this year's budget continues to be one of over and frivolous spending as well as limited accountability. "The future looks a lot like the last couple of years which is massive deficits, huge debts being piled on and we're still paying more tax. So the hope was always that maybe we were going to see a change of course but (instead) we saw a lot more spending. The way I heard it the best was 'never have we seen a government spend so much and accomplish so little' and that really sums it up. It's a budget that talks a lot about some aspirations on certain things but piles on a deficit that is three times what they said it would be originally."

Some other good news is it may not be as doom and gloom for small business owners as what was anticipated, shares the MP. "Essentially what they are doing with the passive income (the money you've invested in your corporation as a small business owner) which allows you to grow your business, save for rainy days, keep the doors open, pay your staff or pay for retirement, that money they are going to continue to allow which they weren't going to before but only up to a certain rate and eventually phased out as you move up. Eventually, if you have too much passive income they will start to take your small business tax deduction away which makes for higher tax."

There wasn't a lot of unexpected surprises to the budget, says Richards, as they anticipated much of the budget was focused on gender balance which it is reflective of.

For now, the tabled budget is being debated and Richards and the rest of the opposition will be hard at work fighting for taxpayers best interest. "We'll make sure the voice of taxpayers is being heard in this debate and making sure people are aware there is a good strong alternative when the next election comes around. If they are wanting to get back on a track that is fiscally responsible and respectable of taxpayers the alternative is to look at us and vote in the Conservatives."

Looking for feedback, MP Richards encourages all constituents to speak up and be heard. "I really welcome the feedback always because when we are having these debates and people have specific concerns about how it will affect them those are very powerful ways for me to make points."

Besides having a presence throughout the riding over the next couple weeks, Richards encourages community members to shoot him an email by visting his website HERE.