Finance minister directs cabinet colleagues to find billions in spending cuts

OTTAWA – After several big government “investments,” it’s time for cuts: Canada’s Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has directed his cabinet colleagues to find ways to cut spending by billions of dollars as he prepares to present his first budget in October.

In two letters sent Monday to all his cabinet colleagues — including secretaries of state who sit outside cabinet as junior ministers — Champagne stated his intention to reduce program spending by 7.5 per cent for the 2026–27 fiscal year...