Liberal House leader Steve MacKinnon signalled Tuesday that he’s concerned the government’s budget might not get support from the opposition benches, while at the same time dismissing some demands other parties have laid out.
On Monday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre penned a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney saying he wants to see an “affordable budget” that includes broad tax cuts and keeping the deficit under $42 billion.
Meanwhile, the Bloc Québécois has said they have six key priorities for the budget including: an increase to the federal health transfer to the provinces, new infrastructure investments, an expansion of the rapid housing initiative, interest-free loans for first-time homebuyers and boosting Old Age Security (OAS) payments for those ages 65 to 75.
You’re right, I’m probably overstating it, but the impact to our deficit is pretty massive.
If the GST had stayed at 7%, instead of being cut to 5%, Ottawa would be pulling in about $25 billion more every year. That alone wouldn’t balance the books, with the 2024–25 deficit be around $25 billion smaller, knocking off 1/3 the deficit.
Over the years since the cut, it adds up to somewhere around $300 billion in lost revenue. Trudeaus COVID spending definitely hurt, but it was still Harper’s GST cuts which took a huge, permanent bite our governments ability to respond when things got rough.
Yes COVID spending was there BUT No it was Trudeau’s reckless spending after COVID that blew up the deficit and Mark Carney has been even WORSE than Trudeau. Your theory about the GST is not Valid Harper left in 2014 with a 1.9 billion surplus. Did I mention he was the BEST PM EVER!!! Of course the GST lost money any tax cut will that’s why gov’s never cut taxes. As of late 2025, estimates for Canada’s annual federal deficit for the 2024–2025 fiscal year range between $48.3 billion and $75 billion. I am guessing closer to $100 billion.