@joes_2868 The government has spent millions in advertising in the final weeks of 2012 to persuade voters it is a prudent manager of the public purse. In the face of mounting sober advice to the contrary, Premier Christy Clark and de Jong remain wedded to their promise of delivering a balanced budget in the new fiscal year.

These two are rushing headlong toward B.C.’s very own version of America’s fiscal cliff and they don’t seem to appreciate their peril. Clark & Co. are exiting 2012 under the darkest of clouds. Their Christmas Grinch is Moody’s Investor Service, which has deposited a lump of coal of biblical proportions in B.C.’s stocking.

Moody’s is the financial world’s Vatican. When this credit rating institution rains on your parade, it is best to start building an arc.

Moody’s has downgraded B.C.’s financial status to AAA-negative from AAA-stable. Moody’s blames it on our worsening financial situation, which has investors worried about the government’s ability to avoid increasing its massive overall debt load.

“A more subdued economic outlook, compounded with lower-than-anticipated natural gas resource revenues, along with continued expense pressures presents risks to achieving the fiscal plan and to stabilizing and ultimately reversing the recent accumulation in debt,” says Moody’s assistant vice-president Jennifer Wong, lead analyst for the province.

@joes_2868 That is simply not true. You only say that to obtain "fear" votes. The fact is that labour is equally interested in a thriving economy.

What Liberals do fear is that the provinces books will come under examination - which may be embarrassing to Liberals.