Table federal budget immediately
Petitioners ask the Minister of Finance to immediately table a full federal budget and provide a clear, updated fiscal plan reflecting current economic realities. The government responds that it publishes regular Fiscal Monitor and other documents and will table a full budget in the fall given evolving US trade actions.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would restore timely fiscal transparency and parliamentary oversight by presenting a complete budget for scrutiny.
- A full budget could reduce economic uncertainty and give investors and citizens clearer signals about fiscal priorities.
- An updated fiscal plan would set concrete spending and revenue plans, helping Canadians understand how tax dollars will be used.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The government already provides regular updates (Fiscal Monitor, estimates) that offer interim transparency while awaiting a full budget.
- Officials say major, rapid US trade developments justify delaying a final multi‑year plan; rushing could lock in inaccurate assumptions.
- Tabling an immediate budget may be impractical or counterproductive if key external risks are unresolved; a later, better‑informed plan could be more effective.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Minister of Finance WHEREAS the Liberal Government has delayed the tabling of the 2025 federal budget until the fall, rather than presenting it in the spring as is customary; Canada is currently facing mounting economic uncertainty, record levels of debt issuance, mounting interest expenses, and a fragile fiscal outlook; the absence of a comprehensive federal budget undermines public confidence, investor stability, and democratic accountability; the federal budget is a critical tool for Parliament to ensure transparency and oversight, guiding economic planning, and maintaining public trust; delaying the budget deprives Canadians of the clarity and direction they deserve regarding the government's fiscal priorities and spending plans; a government operating without a budget could weaken economic confidence, and leave Canadians uninformed about how their tax dollars will be allocated; the absence of a budget from a legacy government (the first in our history) represents the absence of a plan for Canada's economy and fiscal position. We, the undersigned residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Finance to: immediately table a full federal budget and provide a clear, updated fiscal plan that reflects the current economic realities. Canadians deserve transparency, leadership, and timely action—not excuses and delays.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Finance and National Revenue Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, P.C., M.P. The government is committed to ensuring fiscal transparency and accountability. Throughout the year, there are multiple channels through which the government demonstrates this commitment. These include budgets and economic updates (or statements), the estimates documents, which provide detailed projections of planned spending, the Public Accounts of Canada, which include the official annual audited financial statements of the Government of Canada, and the Fiscal Monitor. Published by the Department of Finance, the Fiscal Monitor is a monthly report that provides an overview of the federal government’s consolidated financial operations. This allows Canadians to stay informed, with timely updates on revenues, expenses, the budgetary balance, and federal debt, and includes comparisons with the same period in the previous fiscal year. The most recent edition of the Fiscal Monitor is available on the Department of Finance Canada’s website and can be accessed here: The Fiscal Monitor - March 2025 - Canada.ca. As detailed therein, the government posted a budgetary deficit of $43.2 billion for the April to March period of the 2024-25 fiscal year, compared to a deficit of $50.9 billion reported for the same period of 2023-24. The budgetary deficit before net actuarial losses was $39.1 billion, compared to a deficit of $43.4 billion in the April to March period of 2023-24. Additionally, compared to 2023-24: Revenues were up $50.0 billion, or 11.3 percent, reflecting increases in all categories of revenue. Program expenses excluding net actuarial losses were up $39.6 billion, or 9.0 percent, reflecting increases across all major categories of spending, led by direct program expenses. Public debt charges increased by $6.2 billion, or 13.0 percent, primarily reflecting higher average effective rates on the outstanding stock of marketable bonds, as well as an increase in the stock of marketable bonds. Net actuarial losses decreased by $3.5 billion, or 46.8 percent, reflecting both the amortization of gains arising from actuarial valuations of the government's pension and other employee future benefit plans as at March 31, 2024, and the end of the amortization of certain prior years' net actuarial losses. The results reported in the March Fiscal Monitor are not the final results for the fiscal year as a whole. The final results are published in the annual Public Accounts of Canada and incorporate post-March end-of-year adjustments made once further information becomes available, including the accrual of tax revenues reflecting assessments of tax returns and valuation adjustments for assets and liabilities. At present, the government is devoting its full attention to responding to fast-changing and unjustified trade actions by the United States, and discussions are ongoing. Although governments often face economic uncertainty, the current situation differs when it comes to the scale, complexity, and immediacy of the risks, and the way they interact. Given the significance of these developments, it would be premature to finalize a multi-year fiscal plan without a clearer view of how Canada’s most important trading relationship will evolve in the near-term. Canadians rightly expect a budget that reflects the full economic and fiscal context and provides a stable, forward-looking economic plan, and the government has committed to tabling a budget this fall.