increase in costs due to inflation. Between 1996 and 2008 the debt as % of GDP decreased by 15.9%, this was under the Liberals (Paul Martin and Jean Chretien). So far as per the chart Debt to GDP from 2008 to 2011 from 28.5 to 32.1 an increase of 3.6 in 4 years. From 1971 to 1981 (trudeau years) in 10 years it went up just 5.4% from 20.6% to 25.5%. Even from 1981 to 1984 (remember oil shock peaked in 1982) the ratio was still better the Harper government record currently based on 4 years. Anyone can always be worse..believe me. Harper is pretty bad for a supposedly fiscally conservative government. Its hard to imagine how someone like him would have any real experience in money management. This is a guy who never had to worry about money. I would love to see a lot more small business owners running for political office..they know how the real world works and how to balance the books. We have way too many lawyers and economists.. Complicated, may I suggest you go to Howard Galganov's run for office back in October 2008. That hyperlink will take you back to a number of archived editorials he made in his own blog. He IS a hard-working small businessman who was also an activist; furthermore, he ran as an independent, not wanting to have to tie himself down to being just another "yes-man" in a major party leader's caucus. He ran far from my constituency,