QUESTION PERIOD — Finance
Budget 2025
November 5, 2025
Welcome back, Senator Moreau. I wish you continued good health.
Reading coverage of the budget, I was struck by the words of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives when they said that:
The government could have provided more support for unemployed workers . . . or beefed up one of the various low-income transfers.
Or it could have:
. . . raised taxes on the rich in order to protect and improve public services.
That didn’t happen in this budget. Instead, this budget is like an iceberg: The ice you see floating on top looks like the government is betting big on major physical infrastructure and defence spending but it’s what’s hidden below that cuts deep . . . .
. . . a $27 billion tax cut for middle- and upper- income earners.
And they said that there are:
. . . large, foreign-owned companies benefitting from defence spending . . . .
Why have those most in need, once again, been left out?
Thank you, Senator Pate, for your kind words.
The world is undergoing a series of fundamental shifts at a speed, scale and scope not seen since the fall of the Berlin Wall. This is not a transition; it is a rupture. In moments like these, the government must be bold and focused on what we can control.
I thank you for your question, but these are difficult times for all Canadians. The government has made a number of proposals in its 2025 budget to make the lives of Canadians more affordable.
One example is that the government is introducing a new automatic federal benefit system that will enable individuals to review and confirm pre-file income tax returns to ensure they receive the government benefits for which they qualify.
The Government of Canada will continue to be there to support all Canadians in its work to build a strong and resilient Canada, and focusing on getting the economy stronger will help the government help those who need it the most.
Thank you for that, Senator Moreau. The automatic tax filing is a step in the right direction.
Poverty is rising in Canada, so I’m curious what other concrete measures the government will be taking to evaluate this week’s urgent call from the National Advisory Council on Poverty for guaranteed livable income-type measures so that all Canadians are included and empowered to live and contribute to communities and economies.
Canada’s new government was elected with a clear mandate — as I said to Senator Housakos — to spend less so it can invest more. The government has a plan to build the strongest economy in the G7.
This is a budget that opens the door to opportunity for Canadians and young Canadians across the country, for tradespeople and for Canadian softwood lumber, steel and aluminum.
When the economy is going well and when the economy grows, the government has the opportunity to help those who need it the most.
