Special Warrant Authorizes $33.1B Funding

Summary#

Her Excellency the Governor General approved a Special Warrant (under Order in Council P.C. 2025-467 and the Financial Administration Act) to allow short-term government payments. The warrant authorizes $33,102,676,499 to be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, effective May 16, 2025, to cover needs for the period May 16 to June 29, 2025.

What it does#

• Authorizes the government to withdraw $33,102,676,499 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to cover spending between May 16 and June 29, 2025.
• The schedule in the notice breaks the money down by department. The total is mostly budgetary ($33,099,438,624) with a small non‑budgetary amount ($3,237,875).
• Large department-level amounts include:
  • Department of National Defence: $5,927,118,276
  • Department of Employment and Social Development: $5,596,206,630
  • Department of Indigenous Services: $3,337,192,952
  • Department of Crown‑Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs: $2,225,351,931
  • Royal Canadian Mounted Police: $1,565,171,334
  • Treasury Board Secretariat: $1,176,480,198
  • Public Works and Government Services: $1,167,850,346
  • Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation: $803,512,182
• The Gazette lists department totals only. It does not say which specific programs, contracts, or payments will be covered.

Who's affected#

• The federal departments and agencies listed in the schedule (for example, Department of National Defence, Department of Employment and Social Development, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation).
• People and organizations that receive federal payments in that period — such as program beneficiaries, contractors and suppliers, and federal employees who need to be paid on time.
• The general public indirectly, because these funds help keep government services and obligations running until regular appropriations are in place.

Why it matters#

• This is a short-term funding measure that keeps government operations, salaries, benefits and contracts funded when Parliament has not yet passed (or fully funded) regular appropriations for the period in question.
• The amount — $33.1 billion — is large enough that it matters for continuity of many federal services and programs across the country.
• The notice does not specify individual programs or recipients, so you cannot tell from this document which exact payments are being made.