Federal Budget delayed

PRINCE GEORGE – With the federal government extending its spring break by two weeks, the federal budget will not be coming out on March 20th, as was recently committed by Finance Minister Bill Morneau this week.

“Personally I think it’s good,” says Stan Mitchell with KPMG. “I think a lot of the issues and changes and just extreme swings because there’s so much uncertainty. And the budget is to set the course for Canada.”

While a number of governments, both provincial and municipal, rely on the federal budget for programs like infrastructure grants, Mitchell feels it would be premature to make financial commitments through a budget that may have to be revoked due to rapidly changing circumstances.

However, KPMG notes that “Finance Minister Bill Morneau discussed new government measures to support the Canadian economy, including making additional credit available to businesses struggling to deal with the effects of the virus. The Finance Minister noted that, in addition, a large upcoming stimulus package will also offer new support for affected individuals.”