Ottawa’s changes to immigration flows are the latest in a slew of developments putting the governing Liberals — already in a politically precarious position with their minority government — under increasing fiscal pressure this fall, experts warn.
With a potential fall economic statement looming over a gridlocked House of Commons, some forecasters warn the Liberals may verge deeper into deficits in an update to the fiscal outlook.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party are behind the opposition Conservative Party in the polls, and Trudeau himself has been the target of a revolt within his party as some members of caucus seek to have the leader step aside — calls he has so far resisted.
The House of Commons remains ensnared in procedural gridlock despite the Liberals surviving confidence votes last month, following the dissolution of the supply-and-confidence agreement with the NDP last month.
Normally, governments present a fall economic statement around November that updates their vision and any interim fiscal plans between budgets, but it’s not required by law and it’s not clear when one may come, if at all.
Darrell Bricker, global CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, tells Global News that any economic statement that the Liberals present this year will be viewed through the lens of a minority Liberal government and a leader who are both struggling to gain any political traction.
The issue, he explains, is that the Conservatives are still traditionally seen as better stewards of the economy, while the Liberals fall into a more progressive camp that’s in touch with the social needs of the electorate.
“They’re usually seen as being compassionate, really interested in helping Canadians. But when it comes to managing the dollars that go into that, they’re not seen as particularly good at that,” Bricker says.
Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s deputy prime minister and the Liberal finance minister, has attempted to tell this story to voters as recently as Tuesday.
In her weekly economic update, she sought to criticize the “austerity” she says Conservatives would offer, where the…
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