Canada Liberal spending transparency debate

A series of big-money announcements by the Canada — Liberal Party of Canada this summer has drawn criticism from analysts and opposition figures over lack of transparency. Desjardins Group deputy chief economist Randall Bartlett published a note estimating over $40 billion in new spending commitments over the coming decade since the spring economic update, with unclear funding details. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne's spokesman defended the government's reporting but would not confirm the figure. Conservative finance critic Michael Chong accused the Liberals of being the least transparent government in decades, warning of rising deficits. Prime Minister Mark Carney was called upon to be more transparent. The government cited global economic disruption as necessitating rapid announcements outside the typical budget framework.