Carney's budget blowout + floor-crossing betrayal

On this episode of 'Straight Up' Marc Patrone breaks down Carney's new massive spending budget, a 'Conservative' MP's floor-crossing to the Liberals - and what it could mean for the country

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Mark Carney’s first, much-delayed budget has now been introduced, and it’s a big one: a blowout budget at the same time as a Nova Scotia ‘Conservative’ MP crosses the floor to the Liberals.

The supposedly ‘fiscally prudent’ Mark Carney will run a deficit of $78.3 billion this year – blowing Justin Trudeau’s target of a $42.2 billion deficit out of the water.

Overall spending increases by $38 billion, to a total of $581 billion. Over the full five years, spending is set to increase by $126 billion.

The total debt will reach $1.35 trillion, growing to $1.59 trillion. Canada will spending $55.6 billion on debt interest payments alone this year - more than the federal government will send to the provinces in health transfers or collect through the GST.

Is this the responsible financial management that Mark Carney ran on? Joining Marc is to break down what Carney’s budget plan means is Rocklinc Investment Partners CEO Jonathan Wellum.

Then Marc is joined by National Citizens Coalition National Director and Juno News host Alexander Brown to discuss MP Chris d’Entremont’s crossing the floor to the Liberals.

What does this mean for the Conservatives and Pierre Poilievre’s leadership? Is Poilievre’s combative style to blame, or is this a case of a political opportunist jumping ship?

And could Mark Carney and the Liberals eke out a majority government by finding two more floor-crossers?