Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled his first budget, touting it as a "sea change" in government policy. However, analysts are saying that the plan falls short on ambition and fails to deliver the bold transformation of the economy promised by Carney.
Critics argue that the budget is too cautious, relying on measures that will only slow down private investment at a pace necessary for significant growth. As a result, it's unlikely to tackle the country's economic woes, including slow growth and the impact of US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
One expert warns that Carney was not as ambitious as he could have been, citing the lack of major spending increases that would be needed to drive meaningful change. "This isn't a generational budget," said Theo Argitis, senior vice president for policy at the Business Council of Canada. "It goes in the right direction on some fronts, but I think Carney was not as ambitious as he could have been."
The budget does commit to spending $280 billion over five years on new infrastructure, which is seen as a positive development by some. However, critics argue that this amount is too little and that cuts in public sector workforce and other provisions will only exacerbate the economic challenges facing Canadians.
Ottawa's proposed deficit of $78 billion for the next fiscal year has also raised eyebrows, with many experts warning that it would be difficult to balance such a large budget without triggering an election. The government is relying on the support of its minority allies, including the New Democratic Party, which will be crucial in passing the budget.
The budget has been met with mixed reactions from the opposition parties, with some critics hailing certain provisions as a step forward and others condemning them as "a step in the wrong direction." However, analysts suggest that Canadians are more focused on their anger towards President Trump than Carney's government.
Critics argue that the budget is too cautious, relying on measures that will only slow down private investment at a pace necessary for significant growth. As a result, it's unlikely to tackle the country's economic woes, including slow growth and the impact of US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
One expert warns that Carney was not as ambitious as he could have been, citing the lack of major spending increases that would be needed to drive meaningful change. "This isn't a generational budget," said Theo Argitis, senior vice president for policy at the Business Council of Canada. "It goes in the right direction on some fronts, but I think Carney was not as ambitious as he could have been."
The budget does commit to spending $280 billion over five years on new infrastructure, which is seen as a positive development by some. However, critics argue that this amount is too little and that cuts in public sector workforce and other provisions will only exacerbate the economic challenges facing Canadians.
Ottawa's proposed deficit of $78 billion for the next fiscal year has also raised eyebrows, with many experts warning that it would be difficult to balance such a large budget without triggering an election. The government is relying on the support of its minority allies, including the New Democratic Party, which will be crucial in passing the budget.
The budget has been met with mixed reactions from the opposition parties, with some critics hailing certain provisions as a step forward and others condemning them as "a step in the wrong direction." However, analysts suggest that Canadians are more focused on their anger towards President Trump than Carney's government.
. $280 billion for infrastructure is nice i guess, but what about all the other stuff he promised? like, where's the plan to fix the housing market or help those struggling with student loans? it feels like just more of the same old politics as usual 
. and that deficit of $78 billion? crazy talk 
. anyone think carney actually knows how to balance a budget? lol... didn't think so 
. seriously though, canada deserves better than some half-baked plan that's gonna get stuck in limbo because nobody can agree on it 
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. Plus, the opposition parties are all over the place on this one - either they love it or hate it 
. But honestly, I think Canadians are too distracted by Trump's drama to care about the budget right now 
. All that infrastructure funding is nice and all, but $280 billion over five years just doesn't cut it for me 
I know everyone's still mad at Trump, but Carney's got his own work to do here 
. Can't they just take some real risks and try something new? This feels like business as usual, you know? 
. I mean, Mark Carney said it was a "sea change" but for me, it seems like just another incremental step in the right direction but not bold enough 
. The $280 billion for infrastructure is cool and all, but is that really gonna make a dent in their economic woes? 
. Anyway, only time will tell if this budget really makes a difference 
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i think its super safe & boring carney shouldve gone all in on some major reforms or somethin instead of just throwin some infrastructure cash at the problem 
. and what about the rest of the budget? seems like theyre just patching up the problems instead of addressing the root causes 
. canada needs some serious change, not just small tweaks 
did some research and found out that the US tariffs imposed by Trump have already cost Canada $13.4 BILLION in lost trade 
only 1.2% growth rate last quarter 
i can feel the disappointment from all these experts 
they're right tho... $280b is a good start but still not enough imo 
guess we'll just have to wait and see how the Canadians are feeling about it 
. The budget might look good on paper, but it's all about the numbers and the fine print. $280 billion for infrastructure sounds nice, but when you break it down, it's actually just a tiny fraction of what's needed to make a real difference. And don't even get me started on that proposed deficit - 78 billion dollars is just crazy 
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It feels like a band-aid solution rather than a real attempt to shake things up. And don't even get me started on that massive deficit – 78 billion dollars? 
That's just begging for trouble. I'm all for investing in our infrastructure, but let's not pretend this is some kind of magic bullet. 
another budget, same old problems... Canada's new PM Mark Carney's first budget is like a slow drip of water - it's not gonna cut through the mess anytime soon 
mark carney sounds nice but where's the punchline? 
this budget is all talk no action, feels like they're just trying to appease everyone 
maybe they should've spent more on actual changes instead of just slapping some infrastructure cash around 
I'd love to see more ambitious spending increases or innovative policies that would give Canadians a boost. 
The opposition is divided, but I think Canadians are more concerned with the ongoing US tariffs than Carney's government. 
. The $280 billion for infrastructure is cool and all, but that's like, peanuts compared to what Canada needs 
. How's that gonna work out? I mean, I know Carney wants to be a good PM and all, but maybe he should've been more ambitious 
. This just feels like business as usual, you know? 
. The opposition is split, which is pretty predictable