[Northern Light]

Canada Strong | Liberal Party of Canada

liberal.ca

Liberal Platform released

Looked through, no surprises.

Some good stuff in there (all announced already).

- Fiscal impact is concerning, adding roughly 30B to annual deficits.

- Makes assumptions on savings in operating budgets that I'm not sure are credible.

Shortcomings:

- Does not commit to raising the federal minimum wage

- Does not commit to expanding pharmacare beyond contraception and diabetes

- Does not provide for increasing the Disability Benefit

- Abandons the old commitment to reforming/improving parental leave.

Best items:

- Investments in science and research through defense spending
- Investments in housing generally and on-base military housing
- Investments in medical schools and residency spots
- Investments in a national electricity grid.

Question Marks:

I don't see sufficient capital allocation to cover certain major items talked about such as new pipelines, arctic sovereignty, or HSR, both in the east an in AB.

 

[afransen]

I am modestly encouraged that Carney is breathing a bit of fresh life into the tired Liberal government. I got the sense that they were merely drifting from crisis to crisis and not working on advancing an agenda with any urgency. Let's see if Carney is able to put it into action. A return to cabinet government with ministers empowered to act without micromanagement from the PMO would be an improvement. I think there are some things left unsaid in the platform, particularly around cuts. I trust the Liberals to make more considered and less ideologically motivated reallocations in spending vs the CPC.

The polls are tightening, so there is a chance we will only see a Liberal minority government.

 

[chrisw]

@Northern Light Regarding High Speed Rail,

The accounting framework will make it easier to make capital investments in the future with less impact on the budgetary deficit.

This is how Ontario is able to make so many capital investments.

 

[Northern Light]

@Northern Light Regarding High Speed Rail,

The accounting framework will make it easier to make capital investments in the future with less impact on the budgetary deficit.

This is how Ontario is able to make so many capital investments.

The portion undertaken on the books of a P3 helps with optical illusion, though it actually increases debt-service costs substantially and risk-premium allowances.

That also presumes minimal de-risking by government. I expect this will not be the case, that the government will have to front several billion towards the infrastructure (as in 15B+) and/or guarantee the loans of the P3 (which would then go on the government books).

 

[Richard White]

Looked through, no surprises.

Some good stuff in there (all announced already).

- Fiscal impact is concerning, adding roughly 30B to annual deficits.

- Makes assumptions on savings in operating budgets that I'm not sure are credible.

Shortcomings:

- Does not commit to raising the federal minimum wage

- Does not commit to expanding pharmacare beyond contraception and diabetes

- Does not provide for increasing the Disability Benefit

- Abandons the old commitment to reforming/improving parental leave.

Best items:

- Investments in science and research through defense spending
- Investments in housing generally and on-base military housing
- Investments in medical schools and residency spots
- Investments in a national electricity grid.

Question Marks:

I don't see sufficient capital allocation to cover certain major items talked about such as new pipelines, arctic sovereignty, or HSR, both in the east an in AB.

No matter how you spin it, they are the best of the worst.

 

[chrisw]

The portion undertaken on the books of a P3 helps with optical illusion, though it actually increases debt-service costs substantially and risk-premium allowances.

That also presumes minimal de-risking by government. I expect this will not be the case, that the government will have to front several billion towards the infrastructure (as in 15B+) and/or guarantee the loans of the P3 (which would then go on the government books).

You're mistaking my point. Yes, they'll go on the government books but capital spending wouldn't be under the top-line budgetary deficit.

Pierre Poilievre’s cuts will not build things. Focused investment in things that grow capital formation
will.

To do that we will separate capital and operating spending within the government, and back this with a change in legislation that will be supported by new powers and resources for the Parliamentary Budget Office. This new approach will not change how Canada’s public accounts are built and will maintain generally accepted accounting principles. It will create a more transparent categorization of the expenditure that contributes to capital formation in Canada. This is also consistent with the public finance practices of other advanced economies such as the United Kingdom.

Capital spending constitutes anything that builds an asset, held directly on the government’s own balance sheet, a company’s, or other order of government’s. This will include direct investments the government makes in machinery, equipment, land, and buildings, as well as new incentives that support the formation of private sector capital (e.g. patents, plants, and technology) or which meaningfully raise private sector productivity. This will mean getting government expenditure focused on creating more jobs, that are higher paying, and generate sustainable long-term economic prosperity.

It has been estimated that the federal government currently spends about 1% of GDP on these things. This needs to be increased and Mark Carney’s plan will do that.

 

[chrisw]

Website has been a bit iffy. PDF Platform

https://liberal.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/292/2025/04/Canada-Strong.pdf

 

[chrisw]

Best items:

- Investments in science and research through defense spending

A fun acronym BOREALIS.

Establish the Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Science (BOREALIS) to ensure the Canadian Armed Forces and Communications Security Establishment have the made-in-Canada innovation solutions they need in areas such as AI, quantum computing, cybersecurity, and other advanced research and technology.

 

[MisterF]

^The headquarters of this new bureau? Aurora.

 

[Jonny5]

Whispers are that the Conservative from the Edmonton Griesbach riding will step down to allow Poilievere to run there, which will be hilarious as the Ontario boy will certainly go all in on Western alienation.

EDIT: Apparently this rumour is sourced from the fact the Conservative MP incumbent is only about 10 working days away from the MP pension eligibility threshold.

 

[Jonny5]

^The headquarters of this new bureau? Aurora.

Aurora borealis?!
At this time of year,
at this time of day,
in this part of the country,
localized entirely within your suburban office building?

Yes.

May I see it?

No.

 

[thettctransitfanatic]

Prime Minister Mark Carney's first major thing he has annonuced since winning the election earlier this week was announcing this afternoon that the government is expanding the Canadian Dental Care Plan, to include eligability for people aged 55-64 can apply. And that this will be followed in the coming weeks by opening up applications to Canadians aged 18-54. Tomorrow, Prime Minister Mark Carney will outline the new government’s priorities at a media availability and take questions from the press.

 

[Northern Light]

Prime Minister Mark Carney's first major thing he has annonuced since winning the election earlier this week was announcing this afternoon that the government is expanding the Canadian Dental Care Plan, to include eligability for people aged 55-64 can apply. And that this will be followed in the coming weeks by opening up applications to Canadians aged 18-54. Tomorrow, Prime Minister Mark Carney will outline the new government’s priorities at a media availability and take questions from the press.

The dental expansion was already announced before Trudeau stepped aside, and was always planned for this year.

That said, good to see it being rolled out as anticipated.

Simply delivering on the previous government's commitments pharmacare (for contraception and diabetes meds/devices); dental, childcare @ $10 per day, and the Disability benefit will give the government a strong social polish for the first year or 18 months.

But will they exceed those (cover more types of drugs, increase the disability benefit beyond $200 per month,) or address unfilled commitments from the last platform such as enhanced parental leave. That remains to be seen.

 

[afransen]

I think basic dental care is probably a wise investment as a country. Many untreated oral health problems can snowball and become much more serious and require hospital care. It seems there is no shortage of dentists willing to participate, as I see many signs offering services under the program.

 

[Coolibop]

I know we're not monarchists here on UT, but I'd still like to see the King open Parliament in place of, or alongside his Governor General.

Your wish appears to be coming true.