The president of the Business Council of Canada says the business community's confidence in the federal government's picture of Canada's fiscal health is "eroding" and suggests federal finances are "almost being manipulated."Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland delivers the 2023 Fall Economic Statement as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks on in the House of Commons on Nov. 21, 2023, in Ottawa.
Goldy Hyder, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, says the federal government appears to be looking for ways to pay for its free-spending habits. "What we see here is a government that's not inspiring confidence for investment, a government that's not inspiring confidence in the markets at a time in which the economy is weak," he said.at an annualized rate of one per cent in the third quarter, in part due to higher government and household spending.
"I know that there are some parties that would like us to have no debt at all," she said. "That is not possible but that can sometimes be the miracle number they are reaching for."