Oswald Clark and Paul Tuns:
On Nov. 4, Liberal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne tabled the the Liberal government’s 2025 federal budget and after two weeks of kabuki theatre of whether or not enough opposition MPs would cross the floor, vote for the budget, or miss the final vote, it passed on a party-line vote 170-168.
With a minority caucus that fell just short of a majority, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government welcomed one floor crosser, Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont, who jumped over from the Conservatives claiming that he could no longer countenance the leadership of Pierre Poilievre. The Liberals were still short of a majority if all the opposition MPs voted against the budget.
Green Party leader Elizabeth May voted along with the Liberals and two Conservative MPs were not present for the vote, one because she was unavailable due to surgery and another because of a hastily announced retirement. Two NDP MPs announced before the vote they would abstain because they approved of two spending items that they had been fighting for and
would benefit their ridings.
The budget passed by a two-vote margin.
The budget, titled “Canada Strong,” projects spending of $585.9 billion in 2026/27 resulting in aprojected deficit of $78.3 billion.
Rod Taylor, leader of the Christian Heritage Party, tweeted of the budget: “A reckless generational heist that saddles Canadians with crushing debt for decades, delivering zero tangible return on investment for hardworking families. Fiscal insanity disguised as vision.”
Of interest to pro-life and pro-family Canadians are three measures — two of which were announced before the budget – but more importantly what was not included in the budget.
Last December, the all-party House of Commons Finance Committee issued more than 400 recommendations for the 2025 budget. Recommendation 429 and 430, if included in the budget, would have eliminated the promotion of religion as a charitable end (Recommendation 429) and stripped pro-life groups of charitable status (Recommendation 430).
Recommendation 429 would have affected approximately one-quarter of all charities in Canada, including churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and faith-based charities that provide education, medical care, housing, or poverty relief.
Campaign Life Coalition said in its CLC National News, “Both of these recommendations, had they been adopted, would have threatened the existence of religious and pro-life organizations as entities stripped of their charitable status, liable for a one-time penalty of 100 per cent of their net value, effectively forcing the closure of such groups.”
While the Conservative Party condemned, in Parliament, the recommendations in recent months, they made no mention of their reservations about them in their dissenting opinion of the Committee’s report.
CLC said, “We are convinced that the Carney government heard the loud and clear message from constituents that they strongly opposed the vindictive measure and the Liberal Party would have paid a political price in the next election had it implemented those two recommendations.”
CLC national president Jeff Gunnarson said, “This proves that when enough people speak out, good things can happen.” He continued, “Canadians from across the country pushed back strongly against these proposals, and the government listened.
This is a victory for religious freedom and for the Canadian values of helping the vulnerable, offering a compassionate hand,
and being present to those in crisis.”
Gunnarson found the exclusion of those recommendations providential: “Thanks be to God. Canada lives to see another day without a dark cloud of persecution hanging over religious and pro-life organizations.”
Pro-abortion advocates were divided on the budget. In its pre-budget consultation, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) encouraged the government to commit $40 million annually to Health Canada’s Sexual
and Reproductive Health Fund (SHRF), invest $20 million in maternal health research, implement a comprehensive free contraception program and commit $412 million over four years to launch a national IVF (in vitro fertilization) program.
Following the budget presentation in Parliament, SOGC complained that there was no specific commitment to any of these
measures but expressed hope that a health infrastructure fund might cover those costs.Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (formerly Planned Parenthood of Canada) said “There is no mention of sexual and reproductive health and rights anywhere in Budget 2025” but were not overly worried about its absence. “Absence in text doesn’t always mean absence
in action,” because “Policies in health transfers, information technology, immigration, and infrastructure shape whether people can get care, information, and support when they need it.” In its budget analysis, Action Canada said that any new health care infrastructure funding should include increased funding for the sexual and reproductive health centres that provide contraception, abortion referrals, and so-called sexual health education.
LifeSiteNews reported that the government “will not openly disclose how much money from its foreign-aid budget is going toward overseas ‘gender identity’ and ‘decolonization’ projects.” It also pointed out that Global Affairs Canada claimed that making such funding public was a “security concern” and that there were “confidentiality requirements” to protect so-called
vulnerable communities who are receiving Canadian taxpayer funds.
There was no mention in the budget of how the foreign aid would be spent and thus whether the Carney government planned on continuing the Trudeau policy of earmarking $700 million annually to promote and commit abortions abroad. However, the budget did indicate plans to cut foreign aid.
Action Canada condemned the government’s cut to the broad category of international assistance which includes foreign aid and funding international organizations. The government announced a cut of $2.7 billion but no specifics were announced. Action Canada worried that the 10-year, $7 billion commitment made by Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, to “Global
Health and Rights” – but actually reserved to promote abortion, contraception, and LGBTQ rights – would not be honoured going forward. Action Canada said, “positioned Canada as a global leader and a reliable partner in advancing gender equality, reproductive justice, and health for all.”
Although the budget sets an aspirational goal of cutting “projected direct program expenses” by 4.9 per cent by 2028-29, some areas are expected to cut less. The budget states, “The Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) empowers women and 2SLGBTQI+ people, through programs, to eliminate discrimination and advance the rights of women and
2SLGBTQI+ communities,” and thus “To support WAGE in continuing this critical work, its annual savings target is being set at two per cent of its review base.” WAGE will be given a budget of $528.4 million over the next four years (2026/27 to 2030/31), and $132.1 million annually after that.
Action Canada said in its analysis, “Permanent funding to the Department of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) offers much-needed stability for organizations advancing gender justice and strengthens the department’s ability to work across government.” It said, that funding — $528.4 million over five years – is a “meaningful step toward recognizing that
equality work is not a side project, but a cornerstone of a healthy, democratic Canada. Such funding will pay for “the Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Program,” among other programs.
The budget also committed $54.6 million over the next five years to the 2SLGBTQI+ “community sector” with $7.5 million specifically earmarked for security for pride events. After the five-year period beginning in 2026-2027 ends, the budget commits $10.9 million in annual spending to LGBTQ causes.
In September, Health Minister Marjorie Michel announced more than $13 million in funding through Health Canada’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund (SRHF) for 15 organizations to increase access to abortion and contraception. The SRHF was created by the Trudeau government in 2021 with a $45 million budget over three years; $36 million in new funding was
announced in 2023. The funding comes through both Health Canada and Women and Gender Equality (WAGE).
CLC director of political operations Jack Fonseca referred to the SRHF as a slush fund for abortion groups that in turn support the Liberal government. CLC’s Gunnarson condemned the spending promoting abortion, contraception, and LGBTQ
causes. “This kind of ideologically driven spending continues to prioritize activist agendas over the urgent needs of ordinary Canadian families who are struggling to feed their children, pay rent, and afford groceries,” he said in a statement.
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