Justin Trudeau’s basic argument is that Canada and the world face both historic challenges and unique opportunities — and the Liberals are better suited than the Conservatives to overcoming those challenges and seizing those opportunities.
Mind you, the two parties don’t entirely agree on which issues are most deserving of attention right now. But there is no bigger challenge than climate change and the transition to a low-carbon future it requires. And Tuesday’s federal budget — described by the Canadian Climate Institute as “the most consequential budget in recent history for accelerating clean growth in Canada” — could be a pivotal piece of the Liberal response.
The actual consequences of this budget will take years to measure. But in response to political and economic pressure, Trudeau’s Liberals have at least significantly upped the ante.
“In our minds, there is probably no more pressing issue of economic policy than accelerating Canada’s transition to a low carbon economy,” a senior finance official told reporters during a briefing on Tuesday. “We cannot, as a country, afford to be left behind.”
Keeping up with the neighbours
The obvious impetus for all of this is the Inflation Reduction Act recently passed in the United States. Though it was couched in terms of affordability, the American legislation was actually a massive package of subsidies for clean energy and technology.
Comparisons with President Joe Biden’s signature legislation are somewhat unfair — the United States has to lean heavily on subsidies because there is no chance of Congress passing any kind of carbon-pricing policy. But the Trudeau government could not afford to ignore it.
U.S. President Joe Biden is shown a Chevrolet Silverado EV by General Motors CEO Mary Barra during a visit to the Detroit auto show to highlight electric vehicle manufacturing in Detroit, Michigan on Sept. 14, 2022. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
“In what is the most significant economic transformation since the Industrial Revolution, our friends and partners around the world — chief among them the United States — are investing heavily to build clean economies and the net-zero industries of tomorrow,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday.
“Today, and in the years to come, Canada must either meet this historic moment — this remarkable opportunity before us — or we will be left behind as the world’s democracies build the clean economy of the 21st century.”
Freeland’s third budget as finance minister offers $16.4 billion in tax credits for clean tech manufacturing, clean electricity and hydrogen over the next five years, adding to the $6.7 billion in supports for clean tech investment announced last fall. Freeland also has agreed to add $500 million to the $4.1 billion in support announced last year for carbon capture, utilization and storage.
Beyond those subsidies, the government has committed billions toward a handful of potentially lucrative funds, including $15 billion for the Canada Growth Fund, $8 billion for a “net zero accelerator” and $20 billion through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
Provinces need to be at the table as Canada competes with U.S. Inflation Reduction Act: Freeland
“Message to provinces – you guys have a strong fiscal position right now,” said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. “When it comes to supporting investments in the clean economy, provinces are going to need to be at the table too.”
The Liberals also are moving to shore up the federal carbon price. Under a mechanism called “contracts for difference,” companies that receive funding through the Canada Growth Fund would be eligible for compensation if the industrial carbon price fails to rise as scheduled.
In other words, if some future government pauses or outright repeals the price, it would come at a direct cost to the government.
The “backbone” of the plan, the senior official said, is funding for clean electricity — billions of dollars that will go toward cleaning and expanding Canada’s grid.
“If there’s one single input that is essential to the transition to a low-carbon economy in Canada, it is the availability of low cost, clean electricity,” the official said.
Ideally, these actions would boost Canada’s economic growth. But they also give the Liberal government a positive and forward-looking economic narrative.
The clean economy ‘pyramid’
The enthusiastic technocrats in the Liberal government envision their approach as a four-level pyramid. Carbon pricing and regulation form the foundation. Atop that sit investment tax credits and “strategic finance,” with “targeted programming” at the apex.
Voters probably aren’t going to commit the graphic to memory but “it feels like a coherent package,” said Dale Beugin, executive vice president at the Canadian Climate Institute.
“To me, that’s the right way to think about this. Don’t try to do the [Inflation Reduction Act] from scratch because you don’t have to — you don’t have to spend all that money. [But] do some things. Make sure it’s as targeted as you can and aim that support at the places of comparative advantage, or where the market’s not going to [act].”
Some pieces of the pyramid may prove sturdier than others. Contracts for difference will have to be carefully designed, Beugin said. Tax credits always run the risk of “free ridership” — of rewarding actions that would have happened anyway. Electrification requires working with provinces and, as Beugin notes, “federalism is always a tricky game.”
Greening the grid will require federal and provincial governments to work with each other. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)
The Climate Action Network also pointed out on Tuesday that one piece of the government’s promised climate agenda — eliminating subsidies for fossil fuel industries this year — was conspicuously missing from the budget.
But neither the Conservatives nor the New Democrats were eager to condemn the promised new spending for clean energy and technology. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre repeated his condemnation of the federal carbon price, cast aspersions on the notion of contracts for difference and repeated his belief that the Trudeau government is spending altogether too much money — but he did not single out any of the government’s clean economy measures for criticism.
Conservative leader threatens to vote against federal budget
Speaking ahead of the tabling of the federal budget, Pierre Poilievre urged the prime minister to cancel tax hikes and inflationary deficit spending.
Maybe that means Poilievre has found some climate policy he can support.
Both Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh did criticize the budget’s lack of emphasis on housing. Liberals might counter they are already taking action to make housing more affordable, but it’s not obvious that what they’re doing is enough. If that’s still the case when the next election comes, the Liberal government’s chances of retaining power might be severely diminished.
The same could be said of crime or inflation, or any of the other issues that can grind away at a government’s standing and leave more voters craving change.
The measures announced on Tuesday may be relatively unchallenged — and this budget may prove to be truly consequential in building the economy of Canada’s future. But if the Liberals want to see this plan to fruition, there are other challenges to overcome and opportunities to seize.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.4 per cent to $82.7 billion in July.
The increase came as sales in the miscellaneous subsector gained three per cent to reach $10.5 billion in July, helped by strength in the agriculture supplies industry group, which rose 9.2 per cent.
The food, beverage and tobacco subsector added 1.7 per cent to total $15 billion in July.
The personal and household goods subsector fell 2.5 per cent to $12.1 billion.
In volume terms, overall wholesale sales rose 0.5 per cent in July.
Statistics Canada started including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade last year, but is excluding the data from monthly analysis until there is enough historical data.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VICTORIA – British Columbia is forecasting a record budget deficit and a rising debt of almost $129 billion less than two weeks before the start of a provincial election campaign where economic stability and future progress are expected to be major issues.
Finance Minister Katrine Conroy, who has announced her retirement and will not seek re-election in the Oct. 19 vote, said Tuesday her final budget update as minister predicts a deficit of $8.9 billion, up $1.1 billion from a forecast she made earlier this year.
Conroy said she acknowledges “challenges” facing B.C., including three consecutive deficit budgets, but expected improved economic growth where the province will start to “turn a corner.”
The $8.9 billion deficit forecast for 2024-2025 is followed by annual deficit projections of $6.7 billion and $6.1 billion in 2026-2027, Conroy said at a news conference outlining the government’s first quarterly financial update.
Conroy said lower corporate income tax and natural resource revenues and the increased cost of fighting wildfires have had some of the largest impacts on the budget.
“I want to acknowledge the economic uncertainties,” she said. “While global inflation is showing signs of easing and we’ve seen cuts to the Bank of Canada interest rates, we know that the challenges are not over.”
Conroy said wildfire response costs are expected to total $886 million this year, more than $650 million higher than originally forecast.
Corporate income tax revenue is forecast to be $638 million lower as a result of federal government updates and natural resource revenues are down $299 million due to lower prices for natural gas, lumber and electricity, she said.
Debt-servicing costs are also forecast to be $344 million higher due to the larger debt balance, the current interest rate and accelerated borrowing to ensure services and capital projects are maintained through the province’s election period, said Conroy.
B.C.’s economic growth is expected to strengthen over the next three years, but the timing of a return to a balanced budget will fall to another minister, said Conroy, who was addressing what likely would be her last news conference as Minister of Finance.
The election is expected to be called on Sept. 21, with the vote set for Oct. 19.
“While we are a strong province, people are facing challenges,” she said. “We have never shied away from taking those challenges head on, because we want to keep British Columbians secure and help them build good lives now and for the long term. With the investments we’re making and the actions we’re taking to support people and build a stronger economy, we’ve started to turn a corner.”
Premier David Eby said before the fiscal forecast was released Tuesday that the New Democrat government remains committed to providing services and supports for people in British Columbia and cuts are not on his agenda.
Eby said people have been hurt by high interest costs and the province is facing budget pressures connected to low resource prices, high wildfire costs and struggling global economies.
The premier said that now is not the time to reduce supports and services for people.
Last month’s year-end report for the 2023-2024 budget saw the province post a budget deficit of $5.035 billion, down from the previous forecast of $5.9 billion.
Eby said he expects government financial priorities to become a major issue during the upcoming election, with the NDP pledging to continue to fund services and the B.C. Conservatives looking to make cuts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the debt would be going up to more than $129 billion. In fact, it will be almost $129 billion.
NANAIMO, B.C. – Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says he’ll be advising the Liberal party to flip some the challenges posed by an increasingly divided and dangerous world into an economic opportunity for Canada.
But he won’t say what his specific advice will be on economic issues that are politically divisive in Canada, like the carbon tax.
He presented his vision for the Liberals’ economic policy at the party’s caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C. today, after he agreed to help the party prepare for the next election as chair of a Liberal task force on economic growth.
Carney has been touted as a possible leadership contender to replace Justin Trudeau, who has said he has tried to coax Carney into politics for years.
Carney says if the prime minister asks him to do something he will do it to the best of his ability, but won’t elaborate on whether the new adviser role could lead to him adding his name to a ballot in the next election.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says she has been taking advice from Carney for years, and that his new position won’t infringe on her role.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
