It was expected to be a "do-nothing" budget.
And some predicted Canadians wouldn't be paying attention anyway since the budget was going to be released during the Olympics.
Yet the spending plan unveiled by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty sparked plenty of chatter on Tuesday.
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Despite the fact that the deficit is all but gone, Flaherty's plan will continue the squeeze as Tories keep their eyes on the 2015 election.
"I prefer to have a nice, clean surplus next year," Flaherty said Tuesday.
In short, if this budget was a snoozer, next year's pre-election plan should be a doozy.
Unsurprisingly, Conservatives like the plan while others aren't so convinced.
Click on the gallery below to see quotes from some key stakeholders:
