Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson talks to Quebec correspondent Antoine Trepanier about the strange delay of the government’s fall economic statement, which will update the country’s deficit projections.
Last week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre challenged Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to table her fall economic statement after she accused him of delaying the process.
Poilievre’s comments came after the minister suggested that the government was “keen to deliver an economic statement in the fall” but has been unable to do so because the Conservatives are filibustering the House of Commons with a question of privilege.
The government is not required to present an economic statement to the House of Commons, and for many years the previous Conservative government presented it outside of Parliament. But Freeland was clear about her intention to continue her habit of introducing it on the floor of the House of Commons “where the work of Parliament is done.”
In October, Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux said his analysis showed that the government “will not meet its fiscal commitment” to keep the deficit below $40 billion, and that it had reached $46.8 billion in 2023-2024.
National Post
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