Have a look at the web sites of the three main federal parties and you will see some marked contrasts not only in political philosophy, but in personality and style.

The Conservatives are – not surprisingly – heavily into attack and simple, bumper-sticker messages.

You open their site and, bang, there’s the cheesy and amateurish "Hallowe’en" graphic of "Thomas Mulcair’s [obviously scary] NDP."

Senator Hugh Segal -- one of the few red Tories still around -- is a passionate advocate for a guaranteed annual income.

Segal points out that, as a society, we have come close to eliminating poverty among the elderly with a combination of pensions that include the Canada Pension Plan and the OAS or Old Age Security. Now, he argues, let's provide that guaranteed income for everyone.

Well, Jim Flaherty would rather go in the other direction.

Rather than work toward getting rid of poverty among people not yet old, he plans to increase poverty for elderly people.

That will be one of the undeniable consequences of last Thursday's budget.

A federal budget has just come out that will reduce unemployment to 6 per cent, close tax loopholes, repair cities and institute a forward-looking green strategy.

It is not Jim Flaherty's budget. We will only get that on March 29.

This one is the Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) and it comes from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

The CCPA has been in the alternative budget business for 17 years now.

The Centre undertakes this detailed, labour-intensive exercise in an effort to show, each year, that Canadians have evidence-based fiscal policy options.

There is nothing inevitable -- ordained by the infallible logic of economic science -- about the government of the day's prescriptions or forecasts.

Following recent dismal reports on rising unemployment, stagnant GDP growth, and a deteriorating economic outlook, we can only hope Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will provide some Christmas cheer with changes "to better promote job creation and economic growth" (as he's asked for advice on through his pre-budget consultations).

Unfortunately, Santa Flaherty seems to have got his Christmas list all mixed up.

Harper has tucked his tail between his legs and once again run away when faced with adversity and criticism, hoping that with the passage of time all will be forgotten and perhaps forgiven.

Our task is to make sure that while Harper and co are on holiday for a few months, we remind our fellow citizens of how this government is more interested in power and its own survival than working in the public interest.