Liberals’ fiscal blueprint reflects pre-budget lobbying push, but gaps remain, say business groups
Business groups spent the majority of their March advocacy efforts focused on the April budget, lobbying that they say was successful in getting immediate concerns addressed to extend pandemic reliefs, though gaps still remain. The “vast majority” of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s 24 meetings were focused on the budget to push for pandemic-relief measures […]
Robbing the opposition to pay for us all
OTTAWA—What a Biden-esque budget; it smells like America’s Rescue Plan up in here (if you missed that DMX reference, I can’t help you). The federal budget that we’ve been waiting two years for dropped on April 19 and, whew, wigs snatched. Firstly, let’s take a moment and recognize how historic this budget is: Canada’s first […]
Affordable childcare in Canada is long overdue, let’s not waste this moment
Monday was a historic day for the country, with the first woman to hold the post of federal finance minister rising in the House of Commons to deliver her first budget speech. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s first formal financial plan was also Canada’s first in two years, after the previous edition […]
‘Breathtaking’ childcare pledge to pay dividends beyond recouping pandemic losses: labour experts
The Liberal government deserves some praise for centring in its budget a billion-dollar plan to address the pandemic-propelled she-cession that has seen women exit the labour force in record numbers, say labour experts, who note a more even economic recovery is likely to hinge on smaller-ticket items, at least in the short term. Childcare as […]
COVID or not, Freeland’s budget doesn’t shy away from challenging Canadians on their vision for the future
OTTAWA—Despite the immediate crunch of the third wave, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government shows no signs of backing away from its plan to transform Canada into what many will see as a very different country in the post-pandemic era. In the most impactful budget in recent memory, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland looked beyond COVID-19 on […]
Feds’ ‘feminist’ budget pitches plan to stop ‘uneven recovery’; deficit to hit $354.2-billion
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s first “feminist” budget comes with commitments the government says will address social inequities, ease anxieties about the unrelenting pandemic, and tackle the climate crisis. Clocking in at 724 pages, the document titled “A Recovery Plan for Business and Growth” features a slew of new measures aimed at lifting workers and sectors […]
Canadian Surface Combatants and the statement of requirements fiasco
The foundation of any successful procurement is the establishment of an appropriate statement of requirements (SOR). It is understood that a major contributor to large cost increases are changes made to the requirements downstream in the process. For that reason, before any SOR is finalized and approved, it goes through a rigorous challenge function by […]
Bill to raise debt ceiling to $1.8-trillion advances to Senate
A bill that would raise the maximum limit for federal debt to more than $1.8-trillion passed through the House of Commons April 15, and will now face scrutiny from Senators as the government unveils new budgetary commitments that will require borrowing billions more in the years ahead. The government is already on track to borrow […]
‘There’s so much at stake with this’: Liberal MPs want landmark federal budget focused on economics, not politics
The government’s April 19 federal budget, the first one to be released in more than two years, will lay the foundation for the next election battle, say pollsters, but some Liberal MPs want it to focus on boosting the economy, not the Liberal Party’s political fortunes. “I don’t think it should be a very political […]
Ottawa should use its budget to promote equality, green transition
On April 19, the federal government will introduce its much-anticipated budget. Its first priorities are dealing with the pandemic and reviving the economy. But beyond this, its use of a projected budgetary stimulus of $70- to $100-billion should be directed at promoting a more equal and green post-pandemic economy—objectives the government itself embraces. Prime Minister […]
