I may not be able to participate live in this discussion, but I would appreciate your putting these questions to Mr. Manning on my behalf:

Some people who call themselves small c-conservatives have criticized the budget, saying the Conservative government has abandoned its conservative principles.
1. If you agree with that criticism, which conservative principles have been abandoned?
2. In unprecedented situations such as this economic crisis, should those principles be immutable?

Which measures not in the budget would you include in it and why?
Which measures presently in the budget would you remove and why?

Thanks, and best wishes to Mr. Manning.

Would Mr Manning agree any budget should reflect the state of the economy and in this recessionary period, necessity trumps ideology ?

Nuts! We have kids coming home for reading week to pick up this afternoon. I do have a question however.

1. What advice would Mr. Manning give to individuals who are sick to death of the way the Liberal media torques, embellishes, and pushes the left's agenda, and wish to see a fairer, more balanced manner of presenting all things conservative. Bloggers and their participants have something huge to offer the conservative movement, how best for them to work to counter the liberal media and spin?

Afraid I am going to miss this meeting, but if you have time can you ask Mr. Manning how he would propose protecting Canadian jobs while avoiding protectionist policies given the fragile international economic state and our recent trade deficit? Essentially, how do we stay competitive in the international market to soften the blow of reduced trade?

The Prime Minister had he brought in his Conservative budget he would have been defeated leaving the three opposition parties to run our country.
To criticize our budget then not to mind whether the opposition parties reuse the very same budget to add more spending to support every program will exceed to $100-150 billion dollars-shows a lack of common sense.
Knowing the intentions of the three opposition parties had in mind as we know how they operate; the prime minister decided to add into his conservative budget some of liberals ndp and bloc ideas. which none of them want nor will support. their own ideas.

In a situation we face, conservative-like budget is out of the question for now ;however, how you implement use and handle the new budget-my one hundred percent person to see to our problem will be the prime minister at least he will not spend the money on lavish lifestyles like the opposition party did for years.

Why is it that the prime minister seeing to the INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTH, EDUCATION, EI, MILITARY PROVINCES ETC from where the liberals were responsible for making Drastic CUTS too – then claiming surpluses.
How can the liberals claim surplusses when they never paid into but made Drastic Cuts to then to raise taxes added 1-1/2cents gas tax etc all the while they living in wealth.

How is that the MSM has never bothered to asked the liberals to return our money?

Jen, I agree with you.

I suppose by asking the questions I asked, I'm hoping Mr. Manning, who speaks far more authoritatively than I could ever hope to, will confirm my opinion that this budget was inevitable for the reasons you stated:
1. a defeat of the government would herald an even less conservative budget
2. the phrase “conservative principles” is often used to criticize the budget, but are those principles distilled down to one single premise: no deficits under any circumstance?

Is the meeting late or do I have the wrong location?

I missed the first part of the interview, Stephen. Were Gabby's questions answered?

Would Mr Manning agree any budget should reflect the state of the economy and in this recessionary period, necessity trumps ideology ?

Nuts! We have kids coming home for reading week to pick up this afternoon. I do have a question however.

1. What advice would Mr. Manning give to individuals who are sick to death of the way the Liberal media torques, embellishes, and pushes the left's agenda, and wish to see a fairer, more balanced manner of presenting all things conservative. Bloggers and their participants have something huge to offer the conservative movement, how best for them to work to counter the liberal media and spin?

Afraid I am going to miss this meeting, but if you have time can you ask Mr. Manning how he would propose protecting Canadian jobs while avoiding protectionist policies given the fragile international economic state and our recent trade deficit? Essentially, how do we stay competitive in the international market to soften the blow of reduced trade?

The Prime Minister had he brought in his Conservative budget he would have been defeated leaving the three opposition parties to run our country.
To criticize our budget then not to mind whether the opposition parties reuse the very same budget to add more spending to support every program will exceed to $100-150 billion dollars-shows a lack of common sense.
Knowing the intentions of the three opposition parties had in mind as we know how they operate; the prime minister decided to add into his conservative budget some of liberals ndp and bloc ideas. which none of them want nor will support. their own ideas.

In a situation we face, conservative-like budget is out of the question for now ;however, how you implement use and handle the new budget-my one hundred percent person to see to our problem will be the prime minister at least he will not spend the money on lavish lifestyles like the opposition party did for years.

Why is it that the prime minister seeing to the INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTH, EDUCATION, EI, MILITARY PROVINCES ETC from where the liberals were responsible for making Drastic CUTS too – then claiming surpluses.
How can the liberals claim surplusses when they never paid into but made Drastic Cuts to then to raise taxes added 1-1/2cents gas tax etc all the while they living in wealth.

How is that the MSM has never bothered to asked the liberals to return our money?

Jen, I agree with you.

I suppose by asking the questions I asked, I'm hoping Mr. Manning, who speaks far more authoritatively than I could ever hope to, will confirm my opinion that this budget was inevitable for the reasons you stated:
1. a defeat of the government would herald an even less conservative budget
2. the phrase “conservative principles” is often used to criticize the budget, but are those principles distilled down to one single premise: no deficits under any circumstance?

Is the meeting late or do I have the wrong location?

I missed the first part of the interview, Stephen. Were Gabby's questions answered?