2020 federal budget to be tabled March 30

OTTAWA -- The 2020 federal budget— the first of the Liberal minority government— will be tabled on March 30, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

The budget timing has been in question given the expected negative impact the global coronavirus outbreak will have on the economy. The decision on the budget date comes within hours of the World Health Organization declaring the virus a pandemic. Setting in stone when the full economic picture will be brought into focus follows on the heels of the federal government announcing it will put more than $1 billion into its plan to combat and mitigate the impacts of the outbreak of COVID-19 in Canada, with the pledge that more help would come as needed. The budget is also where the government can put more in the window in terms of its agenda this term, beyond the broad strokes of the throne speech. But in doing so it will need to keep in mind including items that will garner the needed support of other parties in order to pass the budget and avoid being defeated, as the budget is considered a confidence measure.

During the fall federal election campaign the Liberals promised billions in new spending for students, families, and the environment, continuing their so-called economic approach of “investing in Canadians” while targeting corporations and the wealthiest Canadians to help pay for these proposals.