Craig McInnis, writing in the Vancouver Sun about the deficit budget introduced yesterday, assailed the Prime Minister, "Stephen Harper's extraordinary reversal of a lifetime of bashing big-spending governments, deficits, debt and Keynesian economics is a stunning betrayal."

Despite this hysteria in some right-wing circles, labour, social and environmental advocacy groups all felt that Stephen Harper's budget, released Tuesday, fell short of the response required in this time of crisis.

In this time of global economic crisis, Canadians from all walks of life are worried about their jobs, their homes and their futures. In a time of protracted climate crisis, we are worried about the future of our planet. In its upcoming budget, the Canadian Government has the opportunity to launch a hopeful response to these crises by making a "Green New Deal" for Canada.

As Finance Minister Jim Flaherty prepares to deliver his budget on January 27, all eyes seem fixed on the global economic crisis. An international consensus has emerged that free markets alone cannot resolve it, and that financial stimulus packages are a necessity, even if they result in budget deficits.

To The Tar Sands is a documentary about the stories of 19 young environmentalists who travelled to Alberta by bike to understand how the tar sands have impacted communities in both positive and negative ways. The Toronto screening is part of a nation-wide tour with the goal of sharing the stories of the cyclists and, more importantly, the stories of those they met along the way. The Toronto screening will also feature the launch of the book Journey To The Tar Sands by cyclist Tim Murphy. An interactive discussion will be had after the documentary with some of the trip cyclists.