Ottawa to table 2024 budget on April 16. What can you expect?

The federal government will table its 2024 budget on April 16, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says.

Freeland said in a news release Monday the budget will be released at 4 p.m. Eastern that day.

“Our economic plan is about building more homes, faster, making life more affordable, and creating more good jobs,” she said.

“This plan will unlock pathways to a good middle class life for the next generation—because Canada is stronger when everyone has an equal chance to succeed. Together, we are going to unlock and build a brighter, more prosperous future.”

While Freeland’s statement provides an idea of what challenges the government wants to address, internal government polling obtained by Global News last year found nearly 60 per cent of Canadians believe Ottawa should balance the budget.

The polling, which included data from July to October 2023, found barely one in four believe the government should reduce overall spending, and it showed strong support — 42.5 per cent — to increase spending on housing, even if that means rising deficits.

The results also showed strong approval for boosting income support programs for low-income Canadians with disabilities, as well as for the national dental care program, a key demand of the supply-and-confidence agreement that the NDP signed with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberal government.

Meanwhile, even though the country’s military leaders have been loudly warning that the Canadian Forces do not have adequate equipment or personnel, the government’s internal polls show there are low levels of support for increasing defence spending.

The polling data was obtained by Global News through federal access-to-information laws. The data is from the weekly