CTF to federal party leaders: tell us how you’ll balance the budget

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has challenged the leaders of the major federal political parties to show how they will federal budget to balance with clear and accountable platform promises.

“For Canadians to be able to make an informed decision, it is imperative that each party explain, in detail, how it plans to balance the federal budget,” said CTF Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broke his explicit campaign promise to balance the budget. In this election, taxpayers deserve honest promises backed by realistic strategies to trim spending and balance the budget.”

During the 2015 election, Trudeau made an unequivocal promise. “I am looking straight at Canadians and being honest the way I always have,” said Trudeau. “We said we are committed to balanced budgets, and we are. We will balance that budget in 2019.”

Wudrick noted that the failure by the Trudeau government to honour its promise to balance the budget will result in an additional $100 billion in federal debt added by 2024, with debt interest payments costing taxpayers $24 billion in 2019-20, or about as much as is spent on national defence.

“It’s wrong to borrow today and stick future generations with the bill,” said Wudrick. “Over and over again we’ve seen the damaged caused by runaway deficits and it is essential that, no matter which party forms government after Oct. 21, the federal deficit is eliminated.”