Poilievre and Carney Meet on Budget Following Feisty Question Period Debate

Prime Minister Mark Carney rises during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 15, 2025. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met with Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss the upcoming Nov. 4 budget, after the two debated affordability measures and the size of the federal deficit during Question Period.

“We will be calling on Mr. Carney to introduce an affordable budget for an affordable life for Canadians, that includes bringing down the deficit to the level Liberals promised it would be at in their last fiscal update,” Poilievre told reporters on Oct. 22 prior to Question Period.

The Conservatives have requested that the Liberal government keep the deficit in the upcoming budget under $42 billion, which was close to the target made by the government during the last fiscal update, as well as cut taxes on food, homes, and energy.

Poilievre said he would be meeting with Carney in the “spirit of collaboration,” and suggested his party might vote in support of the budget if it takes steps to bring down the deficit and gets rid of the “hidden taxes on food.” The Tories have called for an end to the industrial carbon tax that they say impacts fertilizer and farm equipment prices, the fuel standard carbon tax on gas and diesel, the “food packaging tax,” and the “inflation tax.”

After the two met privately later on Oct. 22, Poilievre said they had a “good conversation,” and that he has outlined the conditions under which his party would support the budget. He added that he'll see what Carney will come up with, and that the prime minister “made no commitments” during the meeting.

“Our number-one priority is people’s take-home pay has to grow, and that comes through more affordable food and homes. The current Liberal policy is driving up the cost of living. If they sharply reverse that, then they can bring down the cost of living, and that’s what I asked for,” he said.

The Conservative leader added that it was a good meeting, and they were both in “listening” mode, and that he told Carney that he must present an “affordable budget” that cuts taxes and caps the deficit.

Question Period

During Question Period, Poilievre asked if the prime minister would agree to table a budget that provides an “affordable life for Canadians.” Carney responded that the budget will be “affordable” and “ambitious,” include substantial investments in Canada, and work to get “operational spending under control.”

Poilievre said food prices in Canada have continued increasing while more Canadians have been forced to line up at food banks. Carney responded that it was “time once again for our economic lesson,” and said Canada has the lowest deficit in the G7 and is going to use its federal deficit to grow the economy.

The prime minister also highlighted that the Liberal government has cut the income tax rate in the lowest bracket, gotten rid of the consumer carbon tax, and eliminated the GST for first-time home buyers on new homes up to $1 million. Poilievre responded that Carney had “literally doubled the deficits that he inherited from the Liberal government.”

Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques has projected the upcoming budget will include a deficit of $68.5 billion, which is $26.6 billion higher than the March projection by previous budget officer Yves Giroux due to new measures announced by the government. Carney promised during the last election that his government would run a “small deficit on capital spending that aligns with our fiscal capacity,” while ensuring the government’s debt-to-GDP ratio declines.

Bloc and NDP Meet With Carney

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet met with Carney earlier in the day on Oct. 22, and later told reporters that he repeated his “absolute conditions” for supporting the Liberal budget.

The Bloc issued a list of 18 budget demands last week, identifying six of those as “unavoidable,” such as increasing federal funds for health care and infrastructure and an increase to Old Age Security payments starting at age 65.

Blanchet said his conversation with Carney was “particularly interesting” and that he believes the prime minister took good note of his demands. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s an effort, a will, and all the better if that’s the case,” Blanchet said.

“But perhaps it’s too late because I have the impression most of the budget is already written.”

Interim NDP Leader Don Davies also met with Carney earlier this month. Davies has said that while he has not made any specific requests for the upcoming budget, his party will not support an austerity budget, and wants to see increased federal investments in workers, businesses, and infrastructure.

Government House Leader Steve MacKinnon said on Oct. 21 that he was beginning to have “worries” about the opposition parties’ stance on the upcoming budget. The budget would be a confidence vote, and the failure of all of the opposition parties to vote in favour of the budget could lead to an early election.

Carney said during a televised budget address late on Oct. 22 that his government will maintain key support programs, including national dental care and child care, but that the pace of government spending growth over the past decade can’t be sustained.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.