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After so much bad Alberta news, the strangest things can look like good news.

For instance, the final deficit in 2015-16 was $6.4 billion.

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And you say, whaaat — that’s supposed to be good news?

In the NDP view of things, $6.4 billion isn’t such an awful number because it’s “only” $324 million higher than forecast when the 2015-16 budget was passed last October.

Finance Minister Joe Ceci featured the $6.4-billion deficit in his news release about the 2015-16 year end, as proof that the NDP has things under control.

He actually has a point. Not the kind of point that wins elections, but in times like these, any morale booster is worth a try.

First, the economy plunged to depths nobody expected after the budget passed.

“Was I surprised?” Ceci said. “I think we were all surprised that things got so bad so quickly.”

Photo by AMBER BRACKEN / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Revenue dropped $1.2 billion between the release of the budget on Oct. 27 and the March 31 year end. That came after massive losses had already been booked.