One of the reasons to do budget announcements ahead of schedule is because the Trudeau government knows that bad news stands to overshadow any of the messages that the Liberals are hoping will resonate with Canadians. Pictured: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Photo Credit: Chrystia Freeland/X.
The great federal budget roadshow of 2024 is in full swing.
You may have noticed a cabal of Trudeau cabinet ministers crisscrossing the country announcing billions of dollars in new spending for things like a national school food program, new housing infrastructure programs and measures to help renters.
It appears Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s communications shop has finally figured out how to get their message out after repeated missteps and months of bad headlines. To do so, they’ve bypassed the tradition of releasing a few big-ticket items in the hours leading up to the budget release, instead choosing to launch an all hands-on deck, two week spending bonanza.
If you’re a past, present or even future Liberal voter, the slew of announcements may finally offer a glimmer of hope from a political party that is well past its best before date.
For everyone else – including casual observers or Conservative voters – a healthy dose of skepticism never hurt anyone and should be observed as we evaluate the early rollout.
The budget is tabled at 4:00 pm because markets have closed for the day and the contents of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s documentary won’t trigger a sudden reaction from anyone other than the political pundits tapped to speak on the matter.
One of the reasons to do budget announcements ahead of schedule is because the Trudeau government knows that bad news stands to overshadow any of the messages that the Liberals are hoping will resonate with Canadians.
Now that most of the budget items are no longer a secret, we know at this point there’s a whole lot of spending on the horizon without much clarity on the broader fiscal outlook. The devil is always in the details and Canadians should be on the lookout for two key indicators come the actual budget date: new taxes and the projected size of the deficit.
Ever since getting elected in 2015 on a promise to run deficits, Trudeau has never made a serious attempt to rein in spending. With poll numbers currently pointing to a majority Conservative government come the next election, it was never going to be a time of fiscal restraint for the Liberals.
Canadians are more serious than ever about getting their household books in order and are looking towards the federal government to do the same. What is needed right now are some serious cuts to federal departments that are underperforming and a signal that waste will not be tolerated.
On the issue of increased taxes, expect more of them. They may not apply to Canadians directly, but they could stand to impact major corporations like grocers in what is known as a windfall tax. Instead of hitting these companies where it hurts, costs are likely to be offset on the backs of everyday Canadians.
The bottom line is that the Liberal government should enjoy their moment in the sun, basking in the glow of positive headlines. Once the budget drops, there is bound to be some disappointment from Canadians who were hoping the government would get serious about reflecting the same reality facing many families as they consider their own household expenses.
Josie Sabatino is a Senior Consultant at Summa Strategies, focused on providing strategic insight and helping clients meet their objectives in an ever changing and complex political and regulatory environment. Prior to joining Summa, Josie spent nearly a decade in political communications and most recently served as the Director of Communications to the Hon. Erin O’Toole, former Leader of the Official Opposition.
