Canada’s Trudeau should ‘trim the sails’ on spending, economists say

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (right) and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. — Reuters

AS Canada grapples with a possible recession and its highest debt costs in more than two decades, economists say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should curb his spending habits to ensure that future policy choices are not forced on him.

Trudeau’s Liberal government has a reputation for bold spending. In 2015, lagging in the polls, he pledged to run deficits to bolster public infrastructure and won the election. Amid the economic turmoil of the pandemic, his government racked up Canada’s highest ever deficit.