Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the federal Liberals will deliver the 2020 budget on Monday, March 30.
This year’s budget will be the first of the government’s minority mandate, and Morneau has said it will be focused on climate change.
But the coronavirus outbreak appears to have some spending plans.
The finance minister said the document would likely contain a greater contingency fund should the economic effects of COVID-19 be longer and harder than the government bargained for.
The budget deficit is projected to be $28.1 billion before any new spending the Liberals will add to meet platform commitments, such as the first steps towards a national pharmacare program.
In the House of Commons Wednesday, Morneau touted the federal government’s fiscal position as a way to deal with any economic challenges, particularly those facing the economy today.
