In Canada, federal budgets are presented annually by the Government of Canada to identify planned government spending and expected government revenue, and to forecast economic conditions for the upcoming year. They are usually released in February or March, before the start of the fiscal year.
All the Canadian provinces also present budgets. Since provincial finances depend on funds from the federal government, they are usually released after the federal budget.
The budget is announced in the House of Commons by the Minister of Finance, who traditionally wears new shoes while doing so.[1] The Budget is then voted on by the House of Commons. Budgets are a confidence measure, and if the House votes against it the government can fall, as happened to Prime Minister Joe Clark's government in 1980. The governing party strictly enforces party discipline, usually expelling from the party caucus any government Member of Parliament (MP) who votes against the budget. Opposition parties almost always vote against the budget. In cases of minority government, the government has normally had to include major concessions to one of the smaller parties to ensure passage of the budget.
Historically the official opposition used to prepare a complete alternative budget and present this alternative to the Canadian people along with the main budget. In recent years, opposition parties are more likely to pick only certain aspects to criticize. The Reform Party revived this practice for a time, however. A complete alternative budget is today produced each year by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a non-partisan think-tank.
Traditionally, the budget process was immensely secretive with little consultation. Under Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, the Finance Minister famously would type the entire budget himself so that no secretary could read it. This secrecy was felt to be needed for inside information could enable individuals to profit from upcoming government decisions. The secrecy also had a large political component, as it would help undermine the response by the opposition.
Under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and his Finance Minister Paul Martin, this changed considerably. Most of the budget would be released well before its announcement, especially any major changes so as to get feedback from the populace and the market.
The process of creating the budget is a complex one which begins within the working ranks for the Federal Government. Each year, the various departments that make up the Government (for example, Health, Transportation, Foreign Affairs, National Defence, Industry, CRA, etc.) submit what are called 'The Main Estimates' to The Treasury Board Secretariat. These documents identify the planned expenditure of each department, linking these proposed expenses to programs, to objectives and ultimately to the priorities of the current ruling Government. The Treasury Board Secretariat combines these budget estimates and compiles an initial proposed budget. From there, the Cabinet and Prime Minister's Office adjust the budget based on a series of economic, social and political factors. In reality, decisions are usually made with the primary intent of re-election and so often include advantages for key regions and lobby groups.
Following the budget, Parliament (the Canadian Parliament) will pass an Appropriation Act (called the 'Interim Supply') which will allow individual departments to spend 3/12th of their annual budget. (The Government of Canada Fiscal Year runs from April 1 to March 31.) This partial authority enables Parliament to spend more time in examining the Estimates documents. In June, Parliament appropriates the full supply.
| Budget (Unofficial) Subtitle | Fiscal year | Tabled on | Minister of Finance | Initial Budget Implementation Act | Ministry | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill | Fate | Votes for[2] | Vote against | Paired votes | ||||||
| 1988 Canadian federal budget None[3] | 1988–89 | 10 February 1988 | Michael Wilson | 24 (Mulroney) | ||||||
| 1989 Canadian federal budget None | 1989–90 | 27 April 1989 | ||||||||
| 1990 Canadian federal budget None | 1990–91 | 20 February 1990 | ||||||||
| 1991 Canadian federal budget None | 1991–92 | 26 February 1990 | ||||||||
| 1992 Canadian federal budget None | 1992–93 | 25 February 1992 | Don Mazankowski | |||||||
| 1993 Canadian federal budget None | 1993–94 | 26 April 1993 | C-9 | Royal Assent (12 May 1994)[4] | Adopted on division | |||||
| 1994 Canadian federal budget None | 1994–95 | 22 February 1994 | Paul Martin | C-17 | Royal Assent (15 June 1994)[5] | 16 | 26 (Chrétien) | |||
| 1995 Canadian federal budget None | 1995–96 | 27 February 1995 | C-76 | Royal Assent (22 June 1995)[6] | 28 | |||||
| 1996 Canadian federal budget Securing the Future | 1996–97 | 6 March 1996 | C-31 | Royal Assent (22 June 1995)[7] | 60 | |||||
| 1997 Canadian federal budget Building the Future for Canadians | 1997–98 | 18 February 1997 | C-93 | Royal Assent (27 April 1997)[8] | 30 | |||||
| 1998 Canadian federal budget A Strong Economy and a Secure Society | 1998–99 | 24 February 1998 | C-36 | Royal Assent (18 June 1998)[9] | 12 | |||||
| 1999 Canadian federal budget Building today for a better tomorrow | 1999–00 | 16 February 1999 | C-71 | Royal Assent (17 June 1999)[10] | 20 | |||||
| 2000 Canadian federal budget Better finances, better lives | 2000–01 | 28 February 2000 | C-32 | Royal Assent (6 June 2000)[11] | 4 | |||||
| 2001 Canadian federal budget Securing progress in an uncertain world | 2002–03 | 10 December 2001 | C-49 | Royal Assent (27 March 2002) | – | |||||
| 2003 Canadian federal budget Building the Canada We Want | 2003–04 | 18 February 2003 | John Manley | C-28 | Royal Assent (19 June 2003) | 18 | ||||
| 2004 Canadian federal budget New Agenda for Achievement | 2004–05 | 23 March 2004 | Ralph Goodale | C-30 | Royal Assent (14 June 2004) | 8 | 27 (Martin) | |||
| 2005 Canadian federal budget Delivering on Commitments | 2005–06 | 23 February 2005 | C-43 | Royal Assent (29 June 2005) | – | |||||
| 2006 Canadian federal budget Focusing on Priorities | 2006–07 | 2 May 2006 | Jim Flaherty | C-4 | Royal Assent (22 June 2006) | 28 (Harper) | ||||
| 2007 Canadian federal budget Aspire to a Stronger, Safer, Better Canada | 2007–08 | 19 March 2007 | C-52 | Royal Assent (22 June 2007) | 10 | |||||
| 2008 Canadian federal budget Responsible Leadership | 2008–09 | 26 February 2008 | C-50 | Royal Assent (18 June 2008) | 12 | |||||
| 2009 Canadian federal budget Canada's Economic Action Plan | 2009–10 | 7 January 2009 | C-10 | Royal Assent (12 March 2009) | 12 | |||||
| 2010 Canadian federal budget Leading the Way on Jobs and Growth | 2010–11 | 4 March 2010 | C-12 | Royal Assent (12 July 2010) | 6 | |||||
| 2011 Canadian federal budget A Low-Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth | 2011–12 | 22 March 2011 | Never adopted | colspan="3" | ||||||
| 6 June 2011 | C-3 | Royal Assent (26 June 2011) | – | |||||||
| 2012 Canadian federal budget Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity | 2012–13 | 29 March 2012 | C-19 | Royal Assent (29 June 2012) | – | |||||
| 2013 Canadian federal budget Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity | 2013–14 | 21 March 2013 | C-33 | Royal Assent (26 June 2013) | – | |||||
| 2014 Canadian federal budget The Road to Balance | 2014–15 | 11 February 2014 | C-31 | Royal Assent (19 June 2014) | – | |||||
| 2015 Canadian federal budget Strong Leadership | 2015–16 | 21 April 2015 | Joe Oliver | C-15 | Royal Assent (23 June 2015) | – | ||||
| 2016 Canadian federal budget Growing the Middle Class | 2016–17 | 22 March 2016 | Bill Morneau | C-15 | Royal Assent (22 June 2016) | – | 29 (J. Trudeau) | |||
| 2017 Canadian federal budget Building a Strong Middle Class | 2017–18 | 22 March 2017 | C-44 | Royal Assent (22 June 2017) | – | |||||
| 2018 Canadian federal budget Equality + Growth | 2018–19 | 27 February 2018 | C-74 | Royal Assent (21 June 2018) | – | |||||
| 2019 Canadian federal budget Investing in the Middle Class | 2019–20 | 19 March 2019 | C-97 | Royal Assent (21 June 2019) | 2 | |||||
| 2020–21 | Never presented | colspan="3" | ||||||||
| 2021 Canadian federal budget A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience | 2021–22 | 19 April 2021 | Chrystia Freeland | C-30 | Royal Assent (29 June 2021) | – | ||||
| 2022 Canadian federal budget A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable | 2022–23 | 7 April 2022 | C-19 | Royal Assent (23 June 2022) | 12 | |||||
| 2023 Canadian federal budget A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future | 2023–24 | 28 March 2023 | C-47 | Royal Assent (22 June 2023) | 2 | |||||
| 2024 Canadian federal budget Fairness for every generation | 2024–25 | 16 April 2024 | C-69 | Royal Assent (20 June 2024) | 2 | |||||
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