It’s the economy, not the deficit, stupid

A long-term bid to renew the country’s economic promise costs money, and it’s not going to happen without first laying serious financial groundwork.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is grappling with big problems as he works to establish a new economic construct for Canada-U.S. relations, writes Les Whittington.The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Opinion

BY LES WHITTINGTON

May 6, 2026

OTTAWA—Then-Liberal leader Justin Trudeau was heavily criticized by the Conservatives in 2014 for saying budgets balance themselves. But then-prime minister Stephen Harper proved the case by carefully massaging the numbers to show a balanced budget before heading into his ...

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