Anthony Furey: Don’t Expect Fiscal Restraint in the Upcoming Budget

Commentary The freebies are already pouring forth from the Trudeau government in the lead up to the April 14 federal budget announcement. So far their pre-announcements include free contraceptives and more free child care, but expect more giveaways over the next couple of weeks as the Liberals do all they can to try and woo voters back. What we shouldn’t expect though are any signs of fiscal restraint from what could be described as Trudeau’s “desperation budget,” given his dreadful showing in the polls. The deficit in Canada is climbing once again as interest rates rise. A recent Statistics Canada report revealed that the feds are now spending 10 percent of all revenue raised on interest payments on our debt. In the last fiscal quarter alone, we spent nearly $25 billion on interest payments....