Commentary
If anybody was hoping the federal budget would show signs of spending restraint, those hopes were dashed on March 28. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s immediate and enthusiastic support for Chrystia Freeland’s third budget as finance minister indicates just how high-spending it is.
While the Liberal government likes to talk the talk when it comes to responsible spending, it just can’t bring itself to walk the walk at budget time. Just last fall the budget deficit was projected to be $30.6 billion. That budgetary deficit has expanded to $40.1 billion. Projected government revenues dropped by $5.7 billion due to a slowing economy, but that alone doesn’t account for the expanded deficit. Spending increases do….