How the Budget Bill Seeks to Grant New Powers to Ministers

How the Budget Bill Seeks to Grant New Powers to Ministers
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne applaud following a vote on the federal budget on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Nov. 17, 2025. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
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The Liberal government’s budget bill could grant new powers to ministers that would enable them to temporarily exempt any individual or company from federal laws, except the Criminal Code.

Such powers are currently granted to certain ministers only, such as the ministers of transport and health, but the bill seeks to expand it to all ministers, a move the opposition says could lead to abuses.