Justin Trudeau fends off dire warnings, says he won’t slash federal spending
MONTREAL — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he doesn’t believe in slashing federal spending to please business groups or opposition Conservatives, raising questions about how his Liberal government would meet its own goal to cap annual budget deficits in the coming years.
Speaking to reporters on the final day of the Liberal cabinet retreat ahead of the winter sitting of Parliament, Trudeau brushed aside a recent statement from a prominent corporate lobby group that concludes meeting the goal could require $12 billion in annual spending cuts or increased taxes — far more than the reduction of $15.4 billion the Liberals have pledged to make over the next five years.
