Amid all the dollars and cents that go into a federal budget there are those measures for taking care of business — the business of politics, that is.

This government’s first post-Paul Martin budget may be labelled everything from the Legacy Budget to the Health Budget. But it also takes care of a key piece of the business of governing in this country — Bay Street.

Economists and financial markets may worry how the next prime minister will deliver $52.1 billion in new healthcare money over the next five years in the combined promises of Tuesday’s budget and this month’s health accord with the provinces.

But between all the platitudes and promises of a kinder, gentler Liberalism, there are enough direct and indirect measures to keep Bay Street away from Alliance or Tory fundraisers while Canada’s natural government party sorts out its succession infighting and makes ready for the next election under Jean Chrétien’s impromptu campaign financing reforms.

Bay Street hardly represents Main Street Canada. But the Liberals know from past experience, particularly in the last days of the Trudeau government or during the brief life of the MacEachen budget of 1981, what a bothersome — and catalytic — foe the investment community can be.

So the budget contains a wide range of goodies that those who make their living from the investing public are bound to find helpful, ranging from increasing incrementally the RRSP contribution limit to $18,000 by 2006 from the $13,000 to extended life of flow-through shares.

The Liberals are also holding true to the promises of their former finance minister of making investment and startup capital more accessible to keep both the small business and therefore the investment sector happy.

Sure, a lot of people were anticipating a new RRSP limit of $20,000. But this budget document, like the Martin-era budget documents, takes great pains to show a steady, incremental pattern of investment-friendly measures and hint of more to come, provided the voters stick with the program and keep electing Liberals.

Some of those hints may be tantalizing to Bay Street, such as talk of tax pre-paid savings plans, which could extend the current RRSP season into a year-long affair.

The Chrétien government also served notice it is losing patience with this country’s goofy system of 13 provincial and territorial securities commissions by using the budget to highlight the work of Harold MacKay towards a national regulatory body.

There are also enough platitudes about restoring investor confidence and smart regulation to tell the provinces Ottawa will if they won’t.