Morneau’s 2019 federal budget comes with big-ticket surprises
There was nothing understated about the way Finance Minister Bill Morneau signalled how he wanted the thrust of his 2019 federal budget to be understood in this election year. Its title: Investing in the Middle Class. The title of its first chapter: Investing in the Middle Class. And Morneau proceeded to cram that same five-word phrase no fewer than three times into the first minute or two of his budget speech. But words are one thing and numbers are another. Most pre-budget speculation had focused on a few government priorities on which big new spending was widely anticipated. Training was such a prominent Liberal preoccupation that there was talk of labelling this a “skills budget.” Paving the way for pharmacare was generally expected to be the signature social measure in the mix. Various versions of how the government might help first-time home buyers were energetically kicked around.
Big spending Budget 2019
| Spending item | Total spending |
|---|---|
| Municipal short-term infrastructure | $2.2 billion (2018-19) |
| Improving low-income seniors’ benefits | $1.8 billion six-year total |
| Making student loans more affordable | $1.7 billion six-year total |
| Improving First Nations and Inuit child services | $1.4 billion six-year total |
| Forgiving loans for Indigenous treaty negotiations | $1.3 billion six-year total |
| Support mid-career training through EI | $1.2 billion six-year total |
| Strengthening borders and streamlining asylum claims | $1.2 billion six-year total |
| Municipal energy efficiency programs | $1.01 billion (2018-19) |
| Accessible high-cost drugs for rare diseases | $1 billion six-year total |
| Measures not yet announced | $1.9 billion six-year total |
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