The new year brings more than the promise of better weather or the prospect of longer days. Within the next forty-six days, both the provincial and federal governments will be tabling budgets. The federal budget is slated for January 27th and the provincial budget will be presented three weeks later on February 17th.

Both budgets will test the commitment of their respective governments not only to respond in a significant way to the growing economic crisis that confronts every region of Canada, but also to propose new fiscal measures that will have lasting and sustainable benefits for Canada, communities and citizens.

The federal budget will garner a lot of attention. The Harper government created an unnecessary and unprecedented political crisis in November when it presented its Fiscal Update. The Update not only ignored the growing economic crisis but also tried to play divisive partisan politics with what should have been a unifying statement of proactive economic policies.

During the ensuing week, federal Finance Minster Jim Flaherty backtracked on key points in his Fiscal Update and was forced to acknowledge and effectively embrace something that his party seems loath to consider: a meaningful package of fiscal stimulus even if it means running a multi-year budget deficit. With his eleventh hour maneuvering, Stephen Harper may have bought some political breathing room, but it is far from certain that his government fully comprehends the need to take decisive action.

Canadians will be looking for a federal budget that creates new opportunities for jobs, skills development, much needed improvements to public infrastructure, and targeted measures for our hard hit manufacturing and resource industries. For post-secondary education, the Harper government could commit to enact and fund the CAUT proposed Post-Secondary Education Act that we have lobbied Parliament to pass.

On the provincial scene, Finance Minister Colin Hansen needs to drop his "don't worry, be happy" mantra and recognize that British Columbia can't assume that our economy will somehow avoid what is unraveling across North America. No doubt he will play fast and loose with revenue projection, knowing that the real test will be who holds government after the May provincial election.

Like their Tory-Reform-Alliance allies in Ottawa, the BC Liberals find themselves in an economic pinch-point. Their self-imposed balanced budget law-a law that reflects deep ideological bias rather than common sense public interest-means that they would be forced to cut spending if the economy grinds to a halt. It's a policy that central bankers and even the outgoing Bush Administration in the US see as deeply flawed; cuts to government spending will only deepen the economic crisis, not cure it.

Hopefully, Finance Ministers Hanson and Flaherty will get the message that voters want governments to make the economy grow, not undermine that growth with inept fiscal responses. Over the next forty-six days we will know just how well they have been listening.