text: For the first 3 years (2006 through the start of 2009) it did.  Then it stabilized, then declined in the last 4 years.
  
  At the end of the day the Federal government was almost the exact same size (relative to the economy as a whole) as it was when Harper started, with the exception of the military that shrank.
  
  Overall the Federal government under the Conservatives saw the following:
  
  - Own-spending excluding military saw minor increases
  - Military spending saw big cuts
  - Transfers to provinces saw big increases
  - Transfers to individuals saw small increases
  - Debt financing payments saw HUGE decreases
  
  The last one is important because it is how the Federal government was able to deliver a small surplus in 2014/15 and 2015/16 despite fairly substantial tax cuts.