The Conservative MP for Windsor West hopes the 2026 federal budget does not add “significantly more debt.” Harb Gill says Canada is already carrying significant debt. The Liberal government is preparing to table its 2026 budget Thursday, but Ottawa’s own focus groups suggest Canadians are not paying close attention to the state of federal finances. Finance Canada hired a market research firm to conduct online focus groups with a few dozen Canadians about a week after the government’s fiscal update in April. Environics Research found few participants were even aware a fiscal update had been released a week earlier. Most participants also said they had little concern about Ottawa’s growing deficits amid U.S. trade disruptions and the war in the Middle East. Canada’s total federal debt stands between $1.3 trillion and $1.4 trillion and is projected to reach about $1.399 trillion by April 1, 2027, according to federal economic and fiscal updates. Gill says Canada cannot simply sign MOUs, or memorandums of understanding, and needs real outcomes. “Announcements upon announcements. An announcement is not an outcome,” he said. “That’s what we’ve been trying to tell this government. The Canadian people understand what we’re talking about. Let’s see what they have in store for us.” Gill says he has not been given a preview of the budget. “Given their past performances, I’m not overly optimistic because all they have given us is significantly more debt,” he said. Gill says Canadians want the government to respect their tax dollars. “They are the ones sending their hard-earned money, and they want this government, this Liberal government, to show some respect for that money, not just waste it willy-nilly. Sadly, that’s still happening,” he said. Focus group participants broadly understood that excessive borrowing can harm the economy, but most said the deficit is just a number with little impact on their day-to-day lives. While Finance Canada commissioned the research to gauge how Canadians feel about the economy, Environics says its focus groups reflect a range of public opinions and do not constitute a weighted sample. With files from The Canadian Press
