The Liberal Government may have kept the possibility of a winter election at bay when Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first federal budget since taking the top job at Parliament Hill was passed back in November. However, it was a narrow win for Carney and the Liberals with the budget passing by a 170-168 margin. And, among those dissatisfied with what was presented is Battlefords-Lloydminster-Meadow Lake Conservative MP Rosemarie Falk.

“The Liberal government’s credit-card budget is making life more expensive, and Canadians cannot afford it,” Falk said. “After 10 years in power, the Liberals are still pouring gasoline on the inflationary fire they created. This budget adds a $78 billion deficit, which is the largest in Canadian history outside the pandemic, despite repeated promises to show restraint. What is worse is the parliamentary budget officer has confirmed the Liberals cooked the books. They invented an ‘overly expansive’ definition of capital spending, and this allowed them to inflate their investment claims by $94 billion. In reality, investment is collapsing, investor confidence is falling, and the operating budget will not balance at any point over the next five years.”

According to the Liberals, Canada faces a rapidly changing and increasingly uncertain world, and the rules-based international order and the trading system that powered Canada’s prosperity for decades are being reshaped which, in turn, is hurting companies, displacing workers, causing major disruption and upheaval for Canadians. “The global uncertainty we are facing demands bold action to secure Canada’s future,” stated François-Philippe Champagne, minister of finance and national revenue. “Budget 2025 is an investment budget. We are making generational investments to meet the moment and ensure our country doesn’t just weather this moment but thrives in it. This is our moment to build Canada strong and our plan is clear – we will build our economy, protect our country and empower you to get ahead. When we play to our strengths, we can create more for ourselves than can ever be taken away.”

Budget 2025: Canada Strong, as the Liberals refer to it, is the government’s plan to transform the economy from one that is reliant on a single trade partner to one that is stronger, more self-sufficient and more resilient to global shocks. “Our plan builds on Canada’s strengths – world-class industries, skilled and talented workers, diverse trade partnerships and a strong domestic market where Canadians can be our own best customers,” reads a news release issued by the Liberal government. “We are creating an economy by Canadians, for Canadians. We are building Canada strong. This is a plan to build the major infrastructure, homes and industries that grow our economy and create lasting prosperity. This is a plan that will protect our communities, our borders and our way of life. This is a plan to empower Canadians with better careers, strong public services, and a more affordable life. We are building a stronger economy, so Canadians can build their own future.” That is why the Liberals delivered an investment budget. It plans to spend less on government operations and invest more in the workers, businesses and nation-building infrastructure that will grow the economy. It includes a total of $60 billion in savings and revenues over five years and makes generational investments in housing, infrastructure, defence, productivity and competitiveness.

“These are the smart, strategic investments that will enable $1 trillion in total investments over the next five years through smarter public spending and stronger capital investment,” the Liberals state. Falk, however, disagrees. “Meanwhile, the government is blocking more projects than it is allowing to be built,” she said. “Major investments, especially in our energy sector, are leaving Canada because of Liberal barriers like the shipping ban and Bill C-69 – the no more pipelines bill. Unless these policies are reversed, job-creating projects will not move forward. Canada’s problem is not a lack of spending. The problem is this Liberal government that gets in the way.” Falk went on to note, when the Liberals had a chance to make food more affordable, they chose not to. “Instead of scrapping the industrial carbon tax, which increases the cost of fertilizer, farm equipment, grain drying, trucking and food processing, they raised it,” she said, “This means higher food prices for every family and reduced competitiveness for Canadian farmers. This budget also forces Canadians to spend more on federal debt interest than the government spends on healthcare transfers.” In closing, Falk reiterated her earlier point by noting, after 10 years of the current Liberal government, Canadians cannot afford the cost of Carney’s credit-card budget.

“Conservatives will continue to fight to restore fiscal responsibility, remove government-made barriers that block major projects, cancel the job-killing industrial carbon tax and create the conditions for real investment, so Canadians can once again afford homes, groceries and energy in a strong and prosperous Canada,” she said.