Canadian Business Executives Divided on Budget 2025: Canada Strong
The federal government’s proposed Budget 2025: Canada Strong has sparked mixed reactions among business executives. Some criticize it as a missed opportunity, while others consider it transformative for the economy.
Budget Overview
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne introduced Budget 2025 on Tuesday, featuring tax adjustments aimed at attracting investments in major infrastructure projects.
Reactions from Business Leaders
Benjamin Bergen, president of the Council of Canadian Investors, described the budget as an important step toward building trust with innovators. “This budget is predominantly an inputs budget, where we’re seeing the government willing to commit billions of dollars for things like dual purpose defence technology; lots of what could potentially become investments.”
In a Wednesday interview with BNN Bloomberg, Bergen added, “But ultimately, we’ve got to figure out what are the mechanisms we’re going to use to capture wealth.”
Economic Strategy and Concerns
The government aims to foster domestic economic growth and reduce dependence on the United States by pursuing new trade partnerships. However, Bergen emphasized the importance of encouraging Canadian contractors to buy from each other to convert government spending into domestic prosperity and sovereignty.
Author’s summary: Business leaders are split on Budget 2025, praising investment commitment but urging clearer strategies to convert government spending into lasting Canadian economic growth and independence.