Share this Story : National Post Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Jesse Kline: PBO report shows Carney's rolling the dice with our money

This government's lack of transparency does not inspire a lot of confidence

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is betting big on the idea that large injections of public capital can kick-start investment in the Canadian economy, but a series of parliamentary budget officer (PBO) reports assessing last week’s spring economic update highlight how big a gamble this is and how little information we have to assess the government’s progress.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.

Enjoy additional articles per month.

Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments

Enjoy additional articles per month

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

Reading the PBO reports, which were released on Monday, reaffirmed my suspicion that budgets, and their associated fiscal updates, have become little more than glossy advertising brochures for government policy, with little actual substance.

Jesse Kline: PBO report shows Carney's rolling the dice with our money Back to video

The spring economic update (SEU) is 167 pages long, but unlike my household budget, which tells me exactly how much my family spent on groceries last year, it doesn’t offer a detailed breakdown of how much it costs to run each department. It says that, “In 2025-26, we spent more than $63 billion on our defence,” but exactly how much more is not disclosed.

This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)

There was an error, please provide a valid email address.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Platformed will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.

This lack of detail seems to be generally accepted by budget-watchers, even as the Liberals used the mini-budget to tout how “transparency is critical to lift the fog of uncertainty, help businesses seize new opportunities and give families the confidence to plan for........

© National Post