In the run up to today’s federal budget the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the Liberal government needs to hand down a concrete plan to balance the books within a few years by returning to pre-pandemic spending which was already at all-time high.

The CTF presented its budget recommendations to the federal finance committee.

Franco Terrazzano Federal Director of the CTF  says,  “A balanced budget means we pay less interest to bond fund managers and have more money to build roads, hire nurses and lower taxes.”

The CTF says the federal government is currently $1.2 trillion in debt. Each Canadian’s individual share of the debt is about $31,000. Debt interest charges are projected to cost Canadian taxpayers $26 billion this year.

Data from the Parliamentary Budget Officer shows that based on the budget in 2021, the federal government wouldn’t balance the budget until 2070.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations is calling on the Liberal Government to make substantial investments into First Nations housing when it hands down the federal budget today.

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron says the issue isn’t going away and they also require housing for the homeless.

The FSIN considers the $6.3 billion, as suggested by the National Housing Council to address the immediate housing needs of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people, is too low.

The FSIN suggests a more realistic amount is $15 billion to bring meaningful change.

Saskatoon’s mayor is also calling on the federal government to address homelessness.

Charlie Clark says the city, like other centres across the country, has seen an increase in homelessness during the pandemic.