From ctvtoronto.ca:

A former Ontario NDP finance minister lambasted for running a deficit to fight the recession in 1991 has given a thumbs-up to a Conservative federal deficit budget authored by a disciple of the "Common Sense Revolution."

Floyd Laughren told ctvtoronto.ca on Wednesday that he thinks the budget of federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is "on the right track.

"My only caution would be that they concentrate on infrastructure and not program spending, because it's the program spending that gets you into structural deficits," he said.

The NDP formed a majority government, taking office in October 1990. Laughren, appointed deputy premier and finance minister, delivered his first budget on April 29, 1991.

"We had a choice to make this year -- to fight the deficit or fight the recession. We are proud to be fighting the recession," Laughren told Queen's Park.

That deficit came in at just under $10 billion. However, he said the budget would be balanced by fiscal 1997-98.