Poll finds Canadians skeptical of Carney's claim to balance budget in three years
OTTAWA – Canadians aren't sold on the Liberal Leader's plan to balance Canada's books.
In a new Leger poll commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, 58% responded with skepticism over Mark Carney's plan to balance Canada's operating budget within three years.
As stated in a financial backgrounder published on the Carney campaign website, the budget-balancing act will ensure 'responsible financial management while making wise, long-term investments to build for Canada's prosperity and future.'
'At the same time, we will run a small deficit on capital spending that aligns with our fiscal capacity, recognizing that current capital spending is estimated to be approximately one percent of GDP.'
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Conversely, only 32% of those polled said they were confident in Carney's plan.
Ten per cent said they didn't know.
Those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan reported feeling most skeptical of Carney's plan, while voters in B.C. (38%) were the most confident.
Carney's budget-balancing plan caught criticism from fellow Liberal leadership hopeful and Trudeau-era cabinet minister Karina Gould, who on an episode of TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin last month said the plan wasn't workable.
'I don't think it is something we should be telling Canadians that we are going to, unless there's a lot of cuts that are coming – that's the only way that you would be able to achieve that,' she said.
'Let's be clear and transparent with Canadians. I believe in fiscal responsibility, I believe in working towards balance, but I'm just not going to do that in a way that's going to hurt Canadians.'
bpassifiume@postmedia.com X: @bryanpassifiume
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