Ottawa Pressing Gas and Brakes at Same Time in Fiscal Policy, Budget Watchdog Says

Ottawa Pressing Gas and Brakes at Same Time in Fiscal Policy, Budget Watchdog Says
Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques waits to appear before the Senate Banking, Commerce and the Economy committee in Ottawa on Oct. 2, 2025. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
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The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) says it will be challenging for Ottawa to combine spending cuts with increased investment as the prime minister has promised.

Interim PBO Jason Jacques told the Senate committee on national finance that he couldn’t remember a time when the prime minister has said Canada needs to engage in both “austerity” cuts and increased investment spending at the same time, and noted that combining the two will be challenging.