Carney budget commits $1.5B to mainstream media and culture subsidies

Carney’s Liberals are pouring $1.5 billion into the mainstream media and culture subsidies despite a $62.3-billion deficit, raising press independence concerns.

Source: X (François-Philippe Champagne)

Mark Carney’s Liberal government is pouring over $1.5 billion of taxpayer money into the CBC, private media companies, and Canada’s cultural industries, even as it forecasts a $62.3 billion federal deficit.

The 2026 federal budget allocates $300 million to CBC/Radio-Canada, $501 million in journalism tax credits, $134 million to local news, and $600 million to broadcasting and cultural production. The total of $1.535 billion is multi-year and includes previously announced funding.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano was critical of the spending.

“The government is broke, and taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund the state broadcaster or any other media organization,” Terrazzano told Juno News.

“The government should defund the CBC and eliminate taxpayer-funded media subsidies.”