Prime Minister Stephen Harper called Thursday's budget the toughest of his career, and said he got lots of practice saying "no."
At a Monday press conference in British Columbia, Harper told reporters the government "has to continue this extraordinary set of stimulus . . . and at the same time, plan our exit."
The prime minister said he and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty spent more time working on this budget than any other, even though it was their smallest.
"We can't continue to spend at this level indefinitely," he said. "Our budget deficits are much smaller than others, and we want to make sure we pull out of them in the medium term.
"The bottom line is this, we keep delivering the stimulus programs this year . . . and we plan to return to balance in the medium turn."
Much of Flaherty's budget, already dubbed as "boring is beautiful," has already been revealed, giving the opposition little to express shock over.
A record $56-billion budget deficit, with another big deficit expected this year, has given the Tories little wiggle room.
Many economists, including Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page, have said the Tories have to raise taxes to return to balanced budgets.
However, both Harper and Flaherty have declared a tax raise as off-limits.
The Liberals have criticized the government deficit plan, but they too have stopped short of calling for tax raises.
"We've been saying for months now that the government doesn't have any credible plan to cut this deficit," Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said in French Monday.
On Monday, the Liberals also said they would be hosting a public forum examining the government's record on accountability.
And taking advantage over the euphoria surrounding Canada's record-setting gold medal count in Vancouver, Ignatieff told reporters that he wants Harper to extend funding for the "Own the Podium" initiative for Canadian athletes.
The Liberal leader may be trying to make up for his lack of presence during the broadcast of Canada's thrilling 3-2 win over the United States in men's hockey Sunday.
While both Harper and NDP leader Jack Layton, attending the game in person and being seen at Toronto sports bar Gretzky's, respectively, were featured often on CTV's broadcast, Ignatieff was nowhere to be seen on Sunday.
When asked about sports funding on Monday, Harper said he would wait until Thursday's budget to discuss budget decisions.
That said, "Our government has supported world class athletes very generously, not only that . . . we've tried to encourage participation of sports at all levels," Harper said.
