Budget Watchdog Projects Larger Deficits Than Forecast in Ottawa’s Spring Economic Update

Budget Watchdog Projects Larger Deficits Than Forecast in Ottawa’s Spring Economic Update
People walk past the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Nov. 4, 2025. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
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The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) estimates that the federal government’s budget deficit for 2026 will be $4.6 billion higher than it projected in its spring economic update, and that economic growth will also be lower.

The PBO’s June 4 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which outlines its 2026 projections for economic growth, government spending, and inflation, comes a week after Canada entered a technical recession due to two consecutive quarters of GDP contraction.