| Budget of the Canadian Federal Government | |
| Year: | 1994 |
| Country: | Canada |
| Previous Budget: | 1993 Canadian federal budget |
| Previous Year: | 1993 |
| Next Budget: | 1995 Canadian federal budget |
| Next Year: | 1995 |
| Presented: | 22 February 1994 |
| Parliament: | 35th |
| Party: | Liberal |
| Minister: | Paul Martin |
| Total Revenue: | 130.791 billion |
| Total Expenditures: | 167.423 billion |
| Deficit: | $36.632 billion[1] |
The Canadian federal budget ’for fiscal year 1994–95 was presented by Minister of Finance Paul Martin in the House of Commons of Canada on 22 February 1994. It was the first federal budget under the premiership of Jean Chrétien.[2]
The budget is tabled only a few months after the 1993 Canadian federal election in which the Liberal Party led by Jean Chrétien received a large majority of the seats in the House of Commons. Paul Martin, Chrétien's main rival in the 1990 Liberal Party leadership election was appointed Minister of Finance.
On 8 February 1994 the prime minister Jean Chrétien delivered a surprise prime ministerial statement in the House of Commons to announce a federal action plan on tobacco smuggling:[3]
Excise taxes on tobacco are dramatically reduced, with additional reduction in provinces that agrees to reduce their provincial excise taxes. Additional excise taxes are to be imposed on exported tobacco products, along with a surtax on tobacco manufacturing profits.
The budget reduced or repealed several tax incentives:
The budget also reduced several tax incentives:
Along with the reduction in the deductibility of meals and entertainment expenses, the proportion of GST that can be claimed on these expenses as an input tax credit is also reduced to 50%.
The budget announced the freezing of Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) payments to their 1994-95 levels after March 31, 1995. Unlike the 1990 restrictions, all provinces (including those receiving equalization payments) are affected by the cap.
The Reform Party (then the third party by number of seats in the House) supported reductions to the CAP while criticizing that the cutbacks are not matched by amendments to health national standards to give more freedom to provinces in adjusting the services they provide.[4]
The main provisions of the budget were included in the Budget Implementation Act, 1994 which was adopted in third reading by the House of Commons on 31 May 1994 and received royal assent on 15 June 1994.[5] Votes followed party lines with the notable exception of independent Québec MP Gilles Bernier (Beauce) voting in favor.
| Party | width=60px | Yea | width=60px | Nay | width=60px | Abstention | width=60px | Absent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 136 | 0 | 8 | 33 | ||||||
| Bloc Québécois | 0 | 43 | 8 | 3 | |||||
| Reform | 0 | 40 | 0 | 12 | |||||
| New Democratic | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| Progressive Conservative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||
| Independents | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 137 | 91 | 16 | 49 | |||||
Income tax measures were implemented through Bill C-59 which was read a third time and passed on 21 February 1995 in a 129–64 vote[7] and received royal assent on 26 March 1995 whereas changes announced in the 8 February Statement and the reduction of the GST input tax credits claimable on meal and entertainment expenses is legislated through Bill C-35 which received royal assent on 23 June 1994.
| Party | width=60px | Yea | width=60px | Nay | width=60px | Abstention | width=60px | Absent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 129 | 0 | 17 | 31 | ||||||
| Bloc Québécois | 0 | 25 | 17 | 11 | |||||
| Reform | 0 | 33 | 0 | 19 | |||||
| New Democratic | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | |||||
| Progressive Conservative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||
| Independents | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 129 | 64 | 34 | 68 | |||||