“We were looking for controlled expenditures, which in turn would control inflation,” Bergen told reporters outside the House of Commons after the budget was tabled. “It’s an irresponsible budget. It’s a typical, classic NDP spending and tax budget.” The plan, presented today by Treasury Secretary Chrystia Freeland, commits billions of dollars to improving housing affordability and environmental programs that could accelerate Canada’s transition to a greener economy. You can read in depth the coverage of the 2022 budget and its most important initiatives below: Bergen said the liberal housing plan is moving too slowly and will not help any Canadians afford a new home this year. Despite increased spending in several areas – including the military and a national dental program – the budget also forecasts a $ 52.8 billion deficit in 2022-23, about half of last year. Bergen called on Canadians not to be fooled by the apparent improvement in Canada’s fiscal outlook. He blamed the Liberals for years of poor financial management even before the pandemic struck. “We are like a frog boiling slowly. We are so used to these huge numbers that we do not realize how bad they are,” he said. SEE: Candice Bergen reacts to CBC’s 2022 budget for Power & Politics

Liberal budget is “NDP manual – it’s tax and expense”: Bergen

Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen joined Power & Politics on Thursday to discuss the Liberal government’s first budget since last year. 10:07

The NDP gets some praise

The political reaction to the new budget was predictable – both the Conservatives and the Kebua Bloc said they would vote against it within minutes – but the New Democrats are in an unusual position. The party has promised to support the Liberal minority government at least until 2024 as part of a recently signed “supply and confidence” agreement, provided the government adheres to some NDP priorities. In his reaction to the budget, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh simultaneously tried to criticize the document, while also getting praise for some of the things in it. ATTENTION: Jagmeet Singh says NDP will support the budget despite some disagreements

NDP will support the budget, but leader Jagmeet Singh says the Liberals “do things we do not agree with”

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh joins Power & Politics to share his views on the federal budget – the first since the Liberals signed a trust and supply agreement with his party. 7:54
He said the budget commitment for a national dental care program is a clear example of his party’s influence. Singh also cited the government’s plan to tackle the affordable housing crisis as further evidence that the New Democrats are shaping federal policy in a positive way. “We see this being reflected in the budget, with concrete steps that would not be there, but for the fact that we forced the government to take action,” Singh said. However, most of the key commitments on budget housing – including banning foreign buyers and a program to start new construction – were included in the Liberals’ 2021 election campaign.

Environmental programs are inadequate, the opposition says

The NDP was more willing to criticize the draft budgets for climate change and the environment. Singh said he was “deeply concerned” about the measures. The budget promises $ 2.6 billion over five years for a new carbon tax deduction – a technology that can theoretically capture carbon from the atmosphere but has not been effective on a large scale. Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet said the government was not doing enough to promote real green industries to deal with the climate crisis. “It’s so thin, it looks like a Conservative budget,” said Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet after comparing the size of the latest budget with the new one. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press)
“I believe this government intends to become the instrument of the oil and gas industry,” he said. “The difference between this government and the Conservatives is that the Conservatives will admit it.” The budget will create a new agency – the Canada Growth Fund – that will initially raise $ 15 billion to boost growth in low-carbon industries and help the country move to zero.

Conservative opponents of the leadership focus on the economy

Candidates trying to become the next Conservative leader also tore down the budget. MP Pierre Poilievre said the new spending commitments would exacerbate the recent rise in inflation, which he blames almost entirely on the liberal government’s spending habits. “When your house burns down, you do not throw it away with petrol,” Poilievre told the media. Former Quebec Prime Minister Jean Chares also criticized what he called a lack of “fiscal discipline” in the budget. As prime minister, he said, he would instill this discipline in Ottawa while maintaining social programs that help Canadians. “The Liberals talk a lot about sustainability, but they have nothing to do with our economy,” Charest said in a statement. Jimmy Jean, chief economist at Desjardins, said the best way to tackle rising inflation was to introduce higher interest rates – something the federal government is not supposed to have direct control over. “I think it was the right choice to stay fairly cautious about inflation and let the Bank of Canada do its job,” he told CBC News.