Carney’s First Budget: Bold Bet or Train Wreck?

Mark Carney drops his first budget and we’re split: Cheryl gives it a 7/10 for a disciplined comms rollout and “build-through-the-downturn” strategy; Erika fires back with a 4/10 over record debt, fuzzy capital/operating splits, and weak relief for real people. We unpack what the naysayers actually mean, why “we’re building houses” lands better than tax tinkering, and how this budget boxes in both the CPC and NDP on cuts, immigration, and social programs. Then: the Ottawa plot twist—Chris Dontermont crosses the floor as rumours swirl of more MPs ahead of Polievre’s leadership review. Plus a brutal week in Alberta: an education bill dropped while the Premier’s abroad, and the Auditor General won’t be renewed mid-AHS probe. We argue over Bill 6’s literacy testing, the optics of the AG timing, and why the first stab at boundary redistribution has both of us grinding our teeth.