(Ottawa) When will the next federal economic update be? Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is urging Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to table it on Monday. He even said he was ready to give him two hours of the time allocated to the Official Opposition to allow him to present it.
Posted at 11:31 a.m.
Updated at 11:59 a.m.
“I am demanding today that the Minister of Finance present an economic statement to the House of Commons to confirm whether or not she will succeed in capping the deficit of $40 billion or whether spending is still out of control” , he said Wednesday in a rare press briefing before his caucus meeting.
Last year, Mr.me Freeland presented his economic update on November 24. His Quebec counterpart, Eric Girard, took stock of the state of public finances on November 21.
There are two weeks left until the holiday break to present this update to Parliament.
Already in June, the financial review of the Ministry of Finance predicted a deficit of 10 billion higher than expected and this was before the announcement of the goods and services tax (GST) holiday. Mme Freeland committed in her last budget to maintaining the federal deficit “at or below” $40 billion.
Questioned Tuesday at a press conference, Mme Freeland did not want to advance a date. “Regarding the fall economic statement, I have no announcement to make today,” she replied. We look forward to presenting an economic statement in the fall. The reality is that the work of the House is subject to systematic obstruction. This has real consequences for the government’s ability to do the work we need to do for Canadians. »
PHOTO SPENCER COLBY, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Chrystia Freeland
Parliamentary work has been paralyzed for more than two months by the conservatives who are increasing their delaying tactics. The Speaker of the House of Commons, Greg Fergus, recently decided to suspend this systematic obstruction to announce four days of debate reserved for the opposition parties to allow the vote on the supplementary estimates which must be held no later than the 10 December.
This document includes urgent, unforeseen expenses or expenses that were not detailed in the main budget. It totals expenditures of 21.6 billion, including an envelope of some 581 million aimed at compensating Quebec for the services offered to asylum seekers in terms of accommodation.
The economic update contains the most recent information on the financial situation of the federal government.
Mr. Poilievre said he was prepared to “give up” two hours of one of his opposition days to allow Minister Freeland to present her economic update to the House of Commons. And if the Minister of Finance wants to present her document another day, is he prepared to give her two hours as well?
Mr. Poilievre took no questions at the end of his press briefing and his team would not indicate whether he would be willing to show flexibility.
At the entrance to the Liberal caucus meeting Wednesday morning, several colleagues of Mme Freeland came to his rescue.
“I know she is working very hard like most of us in government to present her economic update as quickly as possible and I will leave it to her to decide when to present it to the House of Commons,” responded the President of the Treasury Board, Anita Anand.
“I don’t believe that Pierre Poilievre’s offer will be what will prompt him to present his economic update. She is working hard on this and will present it when she is ready. »
Government House Leader Karina Gould believes the Conservatives should end their obstructionism once and for all.
“It’s nonsense with Mr. Poilievre and now it’s time to stop these political games,” she said.
Mme Freeland is scheduled to testify later this afternoon before the Senate National Finance Committee which will begin consideration of Bill C-78 which will grant a two-month GST holiday on several products starting December 14.
With Joël-Denis Bellavance and Mélanie Marquis, The Press
