After weeks of federal government spending announcements leading up to budget day, the biggest unknown remains how large the deficit will be and where and how deep the expected cuts will land.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and his finance minister, François-Philippe Champagne, have repeatedly characterized Tuesday’s budget as a generational one. In this time of “ruptured” global economics and geopolitical uncertainty, the’ve said Canada has to “spend less” to “invest more.”
They have spoken of “tough choices” and “sacrifices” that will have to be made, laying the groundwork to brace Canadians for what could be some dramatic numbers.
“This is a unique budget because the circumstances necessitate we make some decisions that were not pressing before, the way they are now,” said a senior government official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the budget. “For decades we relied on a partnership with the U.S. that seemed airtight, but is now fracturing.”
WATCH | Carney lays out what to expect in the budge
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