(with English interpretation)
In the House of Commons, Finance Minister Bill Morneau presents an economic and fiscal snapshot outlining the state of the federal government’s finances. The government is projecting a $343-billion deficit this year, due largely to the federal economic measures that have been put in place in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic The Liberal government has postponed the release of its federal budget and has opted not to present a more detailed fiscal update due to the economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The economic snapshot focuses on short-term forecasts for the upcoming months. Following the minister’s presentation, there are speeches in response by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois finance critic Gabriel Ste-Marie, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, NDP finance critic Peter Julian, and Green Party parliamentary leader Elizabeth May.
