OTTAWA - If tough economic times force governments to focus on their top priorities, they also make it crystal clear which areas are left at the bottom of the heap.

The environment, the arts, poverty and international initiatives are among the files that get short shrift in this year's budget.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives have come under fire in the past for a perceived lack of interest in and support for all of these .

In the case of the environment, Equiterre's Stephen Guilbeault is crying false advertising.

Although Wednesday's speech from the throne said, "Nowhere is a commitment to principled policy, backed by action, needed more in addressing climate change," there are few budget measures directly related to reducing Canada or the world's greenhouse gas emissions.

"Climate change is mentioned three times in the throne speech," said Guilbeault. "Nowhere is that commitment mentioned in the budget."

The "Next Generation Renewable Power Initiative" will set aside $100 million over four years for clean energy projects in the forestry sector. There is also a tax break for equipment that generates or conserves energy by using green technologies.

The government will put $18.4 million over two years into Canada's annual reporting on environmental indicators, and $8 million annually for an ongoing program to protect the Great Lakes.

But other environmental programs lose ground. A production incentive for wind energy will expire at the end of this fiscal year. Environmental assessments on major energy projects, in the oilsands and elsewhere, will no longer be handled inside Environment Canada. The Canadian Energy Board and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will take over those responsibilities, even though their budgets are scheduled to shrink over the next three years.

"I thought last year we'd hit rock bottom. I think I was wrong," said Guilbeault, who estimates the United States spends 14 times more than Canada per capita on renewable energy initiatives.

Climate Action Network Canada had estimated that Canada should be spending $320 to $420 million a year over the next two years to comply with the promise it made at the Copenhagen climate talks to help the developing world cut emissions.

That commitment was reiterated in the throne speech, but no money was earmarked in the budget.

A high-profile Harper promise to focus international aid efforts on maternal and child health in a year where Canada is hosting the G-8 and G-20 summits is not matched with any extra aid funding.

Like the environmental file, arts funding is another area where the government spent money in previous budgets but has now shut off the taps.

There is not a single mention of the arts in either the throne speech or the budget.

Television networks who might have hoped for a little help with next year's expensive transition to digital broadcasts from analog might have to wait until the federal regulator finishes a series of studies on their industry.

There are also few measures in the budget to help the poor.

Single parents will get a tax break that allows them to keep more of the $100 cheque they receive every month for each child under six. There is also an easing of the rules on charities, although it is unclear whether that will ultimately mean more money gets to those in need.

The government is putting money into a series of programs directed at Aboriginals, including $53 million over two years for child and family services initiatives, and $45 million over two years for measures to help bring healthy food to people in remote areas.

The government had committed $2 billion towards social housing and $75 million towards renovations of federally run housing in last year's budget, and those funds are still being spent. Another $300 million was also earmarked last year for First Nations housing