The reviews are in

Murray Mandryk on how the Wall government "flawed" budget thoroughly contradicts its rhetoric:

If the Brad Wall brand is integrity, there was serious damage done by trying to sell this budget as a surplus when it actually spends $174 million more than it takes in. In fact, the further one probes into this budget, the worse the political accounting games appear to be.

Balanced with spending cuts? Take a closer look. Its spending reduction is largely based on slashing $300-million worth of capital spending while low-balling traditional operational costs. In other words, there will undoubtedly be another massive correction at mid-term in November -- this time, on the spending side. (The only saving grace is that revenue forecasts may also be low-balled.)

Now, add to all this the thousand little cuts that will nag away at the Sask. Party government and Wall's image for the next year or so.

It is the deepest hope of Wall's spin doctors that he emerges from this budget and goes into the 2011 election year with an image of being a tough, but fair and kind leader.

The problem, however, is that this budget might not allow them to do that.