QUESTION PERIOD — Finance
Provincial Jurisdiction
April 11, 2024
Last August, Canada’s outlook was so bad that the President of the Treasury Board asked the various departments to cut $15 billion in spending. In the last 15 days, the Prime Minister, likely panicking because of the polls, announced over $10 billion in investments, even before the next budget has been tabled. Justin Trudeau’s economic judgment has always been a cause for concern.
Leader, where is this new money coming from? Canadians are already paying nearly a billion dollars a week in interest on debt racked up by the Liberals. Can you tell us where the money is coming from?
Thank you for your question. The investments that were announced are targeted to ensure that Canadians who need help facing cost of living challenges and housing shortages get the assistance they need.
As for the question of funding for these new programs, or indeed anything else that will be in the budget, we will have to wait until Tuesday for details.
Your Prime Minister’s pre-budget announcements pertain to housing, education, health and municipal infrastructure. All of these areas fall under provincial jurisdiction. The Constitution is not a piece of paper to be used for wiping one’s feet. When a prime minister openly says that he will not respect the Constitution of his country because that is not something the general public is concerned about, can you explain to us how this man still has the legitimacy to govern Canada, from a legal perspective?
When the Government of Canada spends money to help Canadians and calls on the provinces and territories to work with it to ensure that the programs run smoothly and meet the needs of the provinces, that is an illustration of constitutional partnership within our federalism that is well known and appreciated by not only the provinces, who receive the money, but also Canadians, who are the beneficiaries of these programs.
