House Finance Committee receives record number of pre-budget consultation submissions, highest recommendations since Trudeau government first elected

More than 850 written submissions were received about the 2024 budget, compared to just 230 for the Liberals’ first budget in 2016.
It’s difficult to ‘follow the money’: former MPs, bureaucrats, and PBOs say budget and estimates process makes it tough for Parliament to hold government spending to account

As the government prepares to table its budget in April, individual MPs and Senators have ‘very little influence’ on spending, says Parliamentary Budget Office Yves Giroux.
Investing in sport is a winning play

A functioning, healthy sport system is more important than ever in a time when the deliberate division of people and communities is far too common.
Minister Freeland should take a walk in beer industry workers’ shoes

The finance minister should cancel the largest beer tax increase in 40 years, and at the same time, preserve Canadian jobs and support middle-class families.
No easy outs: leaders should wrestle with tensions for a great budget

Budgets represent a set of difficult choices where society’s greatest needs come head to head with the cold reality of what our public finances can afford.
The federal government is failing Canadian health research

Canada risks losing out by inadequately investing in health researchers working to unlock new discoveries.
ArriveCan accountability remains top question as federal spending watchdog says she found ‘disappointing failures’ everywhere she looked

Canadians will lose faith in institutions if there are no consequences, says Aaron Wudrick. But it should be bureaucrats—not ministers—who wear the procurement failings, according to former PSPC ADM Alan Williams.
Road to Budget 2024 must be paved with bold, long-term housing fixes for all Canadians

One way to preserve and expand the inventory of affordable housing is through the creation of a federal housing acquisition fund.
Procurement ombud’s report reveals discrepancies in ArriveCan’s $54-million contract

Mandatory criteria used in ArriveCan application procurement were ‘overly restrictive’ and ‘favoured’ GC Strategies Inc. as an existing CBSA supplier, which led to the awarding of a $25-million contract to the company in the centre of misconduct allegations.
Trudeau government should eliminate agents of corporate welfare

There’s no reason to believe the federal government can cause ‘economic growth’ through Canada’s seven regional development agencies.