The Big Five Podcast Get ready for budget cuts and tax hikes, Canada. Plus: More Canadians being held by ICE.
Jul 8, 2025
Justine McIntyre, a strategic consultant and former city councillor, teams up with Raphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News, to delve into Canada's looming budget cuts and potential tax hikes. They analyze the government's push for savings amidst rising deficits and discuss implications for federal services. The conversation takes a somber turn with stories of Canadians detained by ICE, exploring the complexities of immigration challenges and their impact on personal freedom and perceptions of Canada abroad.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Canada's Spending Cuts and Tax Hikes
- Ottawa is pushing cabinet ministers to cut program spending by 7.5% next fiscal year, aiming for 15% cuts by 2028.
- The cuts exclude transfers to provinces, seniors, and debt payments; tax hikes like GST increase are also considered to address deficits.
Support for Spending Review
- Justine McIntyre supports comprehensive expenditure reviews as a needed correction after excessive public service growth.
- She stresses reallocating existing resources before seeking new funds, aligning spending with government objectives.
Need for Deeper Spending Cuts
- Raphaël Melançon calls the comprehensive expenditure review overdue due to uncontrolled spending under Trudeau.
- He emphasizes the need to justify every taxpayer dollar, believing even more than 15% cuts may be possible.