The CTF has proposed how to balance the federal budget within three years, and the ideas have been duly noted.

Terence Corcoran / National Post

In a January 25 National Post column, "Lots of options for spending cuts," Terence Corcoran writes,

So the battle must be waged anew to drive the Immovable Spending Blob out of Ottawa. Spending can and must be cut. Fortunately we have two rough blueprints at hand to get us all started. Over at Maclean’s magazine, Andrew Coyne has crafted a handy plan to trim federal spending over the next few years. In “How to cut $20-billion from spending without really trying,” Mr. Coyne proposes cuts that would bring the budget deficit to zero over 5 years. A useful but tougher companion document is the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s pre-budget call for about $20-billion in cuts over three years.

In brief, the Coyne cuts would include $6-billion in reduced transfers to the provinces between now and 2014. Via Rail and AECL should be put on full cost recovery to save $500-million. Half the CBC allocation should be raised by the CBC via direct cable fee, saving $500-million. Assorted regional development agencies would be shut down ($700-million). Handouts to private industries could be trimmed by $1-billion. Tax breaks for Labour Sponsored Venture Capital Funds, farmers, fishers, resource industries would save another $2-billion.

The taxpayers federation has similar ideas in mind, including cuts in equalization ($4.3-billion), a 5% reduction in departmental spending ($8.5-billion), and $2.5-billion saved by reducing regional development spending and crown corporation outlays. A public sector wage freeze and a freeze in public sector hiring, along with reductions in spending on consultants and advertizing could also be used to bring the deficit under control.

Spending can’t be cut? Not true. There are lots of options. And now’s the time for Ottawa to start making a list.

Andrew Coyne / MacLean's

Coyne himself acknowledges the CTF in his article,

If you want to see what real fiscal conservativism looks like, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has a plan to balance the budget in three years, rather than the pallid four-year plan outlined here. They’d slash spending all the way to $214-billion by fiscal 2013, including cuts of roughly $5-billion in “grants and contributions,” twice as much as I’ve included.