Budget 2026 bets it can turn spending into investment and growth.
In this special budget lockup edition of ๐ป๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐, we look beyond the headline deficit and get under the hood of Budget 2026 to ask whether Canadaโs big budget bet will pay off.
Fresh from the budget lockup, IFSD's crack team of Kevin Page, Sahir Khan and Mostafa Askari break down the plan and put it up against the tests we set before budget day:
๐ Does it connect borrowing to growth?
๐ How much fiscal room is being used, ๐ and is there any slack left for potential shocks?
๐๏ธ Can the government execute the plan?
๐ How, and when, will Canadians know whether the strategy is actually working?
The scale is significant. The government is using spending restraint and substantial borrowing to invest, while betting that public dollars and tax incentives can help bring private capital off the sidelines and get major projects moving.
But this plan comes with challenges, including rising debt charges and significant execution risks.
The test is whether investment rises, capital moves, projects advance, and those investments ultimately translate into jobs, productivity and stronger economic growth.
In this special budget lockup edition of ๐ป๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐, we look beyond the headline deficit and get under the hood of Budget 2026 to ask whether Canadaโs big budget bet will pay off.
Fresh from the budget lockup, IFSD's crack team of Kevin Page, Sahir Khan and Mostafa Askari break down the plan and put it up against the tests we set before budget day:
๐ Does it connect borrowing to growth?
๐ How much fiscal room is being used, ๐ and is there any slack left for potential shocks?
๐๏ธ Can the government execute the plan?
๐ How, and when, will Canadians know whether the strategy is actually working?
The scale is significant. The government is using spending restraint and substantial borrowing to invest, while betting that public dollars and tax incentives can help bring private capital off the sidelines and get major projects moving.
But this plan comes with challenges, including rising debt charges and significant execution risks.
The test is whether investment rises, capital moves, projects advance, and those investments ultimately translate into jobs, productivity and stronger economic growth.
