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David Anderson

The federal budget cut spending, but not as deeply as some expected.

The Conservatives are planning to cut $5.2 billion in spending over the next three years.

They will run a $21 billion deficit this year and are projecting getting into a surplus by 2016.

"There is a focus on jobs and focus on trying to keep the economy going," said Cypress Hills--Grasslands MP David Anderson. "I'm one of those folks that believes we need to get back to a balanced budget as soon as possible. I would have been comfortable with larger cuts than we had. I think there is a balance here."

Most of the cuts come to the "back end" of government departments and won't result in cuts to services or government transfers to the provinces.

That includes cutting over 19,000 federal government jobs.

Anderson believes yesterday's federal budget builds on some of the government's previous work,

“It lots of ways it continues the economic action plan we've had in the past," Anderson said. "There's not a lot of changes. There are some smaller adjustments in programs and improvements... but haven't really changed the direction we've gone in the past."

Shawn Mullin Interviews David Anderson